Women and young voters in Georgia outline election priorities

ATLANTA, Ga. (WJBF) – We’re just ten weeks away until the 2024 presidential elections and that’s why both candidates, VP Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump are campaigning heavily in key swing states like Georgia. While the Trump campaign has not confirmed a date yet on when they will be back in Georgia after rallying in Atlanta earlier this month, VP Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will be on a bus tour from South Georgia to Savannah this Wednesday through Thursday.

With sixteen electoral votes, Georgia is one of a handful of battleground states that will see major momentum in terms of political rallies over the next two months.

“Our polling has consistently shown that jobs, economy and public safety continue to be concerns for Georgians across the state,” said  Stephanie Jackson Ali, who serves as the policy director for the New Georgia Projection Action Fund.

A recent Emerson college poll shows after the economy, women voters are concerned about healthcare and abortion rights while young voters are concerned about affordable housing.

“As Georgia has become more younger, we see votes shift around. One of the biggest factors we see this year is over a million young Georgians who were not eligible are going to be eligible now so we are talking about a younger electorate,” said Jackson Ali.

“This is a brand new electorate and we are more diverse. We are looking at a Georgia that isn’t what it used to be and that will lead to a lot of surprises.”

Political experts say most of the larger cities in Georgia are democratic while the outliers, suburban and rural counties are republican.

“What’s really going to turn out people is trusted messengers. It’s not social media but hearing from people like them like their trusted members whether that is faith leader, a parent, or a coworker,” said Jackson Ali.

There is also a significant population of black voters in smaller cities like Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Albany and Savannah that both campaigns are eying.

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