WASHINGTON (AP) — As America heads toward the 2024 election, the path to the presidency runs through Georgia, one of seven battleground states considered crucial to the fate of whoever seeks the White House. Georgia is also one of the few Southern states on the ballot, having gone to President Joe Biden in 2020 after a streak of six consecutive victories for Republican presidential candidates.
Four years after Biden won the state by fewer than 12,000 votes, the campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have poured financial and tactical resources into the state on the theory that the outcome could be determined by it as well , who does not. I won’t choose as is the case.
The question is whether their sales pitches resonate with everyone. For people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder, there are often more fundamental priorities. Bibb County was a good testing area with its high poverty rate, diverse population and huge number of seemingly eligible voters who stayed home in 2020. Interviews with dozens of women and some men at the lower socioeconomic level revealed a possible link between poverty and voter turnout, which candidates are working to overcome.
Wasn’t 2020 a record turnout?
According to a study by the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, more than 150 million people voted, but despite the record number of ballots cast in 2020, more than 75 million eligible voters did not cast their ballot. In Bibb County, approximately 47,000 people who were eligible to vote, meaning legal citizens ages 18 and older, were not eligible to vote.
How do you know that some of these non-voters are impoverished?
Other data from AP VoteCast, a survey of voters and non-voters, found that a percentage of those non-voters would be poorer. The survey found that non-voters in 2020 tended to be poorer, younger, less educated, unmarried and minorities. Data collected by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also found that 15% of 2020 voters reported having a household income of less than $25,000 in the previous year, compared to about 3 in 10 non-voters. Comparing these characteristics to a population of 27 million adults living below the poverty line, according to the census, the numbers suggest that people at the lower rungs of the economic ladder likely make up a significant portion of all non-voters.
What are the demographics here?
The majority of Bibb County residents are minorities and over 60% are unmarried. Four in ten are younger than 30 and almost half have only a high school diploma. Just over 60% of students in Bibb County schools are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, with 36 of the schools offering free and reduced-price meals to all students, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Education said.
Kathy McCollum, president of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, said the poverty rate is 18.5% in the 24 counties her organization serves, including Bibb. She said donations come from food retailers, growers, manufacturers and processors. Financial donations increased dramatically in 2020 during the pandemic but declined. Food from her organization is distributed to over 200 partner organizations, which are non-profit organizations or churches that distribute the food to residents and families in need.
Why does income matter when voting?
The reasons people offered were varied. Some were prevented because of previous criminal justice problems. Others had concerns about childcare and transportation. Early voting, particularly for those with housing instability, could be tough due to address requirements. And some didn’t understand how the discussions about money for homebuyers, college debt relief and tax cuts for the wealthy had an impact on them. Linda Solomon, 58, said her concern is that her Social Security disability will be extended to the point where she can cover her apartment rent and utilities. She relies on food pantries and organizations like Mother’s Nest in Macon to get through the tough times. She stopped voting years ago when she decided her circumstances had remained the same across several administrations.
What is Mother Nest?
It is a non-profit organization founded in 2022. Its founder and CEO, Sabrina Friday, recalled her own experiences as a teenage mother with little support and recognized the need. The organization offers a variety of services including groceries, clothing, baby furniture and classes ranging from self-care to infant CPR and dental clinics. She emphasizes civic engagement, but “when you’re sleeping in a hotel and don’t know where your next meal is coming from and your car has been impounded, voting isn’t high on the priority list.”
Have others noticed?
LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said she believes there is a discussion about fundamental money issues like food costs and housing. But there needs to be more to get people who are ignored by society to see voting as something that can solve their systemic problems. The stock market and unemployment “are not indicators of how well people are doing.”
Are the campaigns there?
Janiyah Thomas, a Trump campaign official, said turnout efforts are focused on low-turnout voters. She added that they also operate volunteers and customary acquisition methods, as well as TikTok and outside groups.
The Harris campaign has an office in Macon with six full-time team members focused on reaching communities throughout the region. This includes canvassing and door knocking in lower-income and other areas. A campaign official said there is also a huge rural presence in Georgia that is more oriented toward lower-income residents.
