County Bans Coke Machines Over New Voting Law

Good luck finding a Coke at government facilities in Surry County, NC. Nearly two months after Coca Cola's CEO voiced opposition to Georgia's new voting restrictions, leaders of the county in neighboring North Carolina punished him with a measure requiring the removal of all Coke machines from government facilities, reports the Hill. The measure—a direct response to James Quincey calling Georgia's law "unacceptable" and "a step backwards" in terms of "broad access to voting"—passed the Board of Commissioners with a 3-2 vote on May 17, per NBC News. In a letter announcing the move, County Commissioner Ed Harris told Quincey the board felt the removal "was the best way to take a stand and express our disappointment in Coca-Cola's actions, which are not representative of most views of our citizens."

"Our Board ... sincerely wishes that future marketing efforts and comments emanating from your company are more considerate of all your customers' viewpoints," Harris continued, accusing the Atlanta-based company of catering to "the out-of-control cancel culture and bigoted leftist mob." Quincey had denounced the Georgia law in an April 1 statement shared on Coke's website, asserting that the measure "would diminish or deter access to voting." A Coke rep tells NBC that "representatives from our local bottler … look forward to continuing their productive conversations" with county commissioners. (More North Carolina stories.)