Mary Louise Kelly, the host of Consider This, aimed to explore the primary concerns of young voters in Georgia ahead of this year’s presidential election. Her journey led her to a Mexican restaurant in Atlanta, the venue for an event organized by the Atlanta Young Republicans.
At this gathering, members were writing and addressing postcards to encourage voters to support two down-ballot GOP candidates. Among the attendees, opinions on Donald Trump were divided. Winslow Jones, the 39-year-old president of the group, noted that while some members support Trump, others have reservations. Jones highlighted shared concerns among young Republicans, including the economy, border security, and local crime and safety.
Sitting across the table was Jacquelyn Harn, the president of the Georgia Young Republicans. The 25-year-old expressed a desire for a return to the policies of Trump’s previous term, citing housing costs as a significant issue for young voters, which she believes would not improve under Vice President Harris.
Kelly’s next stop was the Harris/Walz headquarters, where a text banking event was in progress. Organized by the Young Democrats of Georgia and Men for Choice, the event saw participants sending out 50,000 texts aimed at men of color aged 27 to 50. Davante Jennings, the 28-year-old president of the Young Democrats, emphasized the importance of the black vote, noting that it can be a decisive factor in elections. Jennings described the surge in activity following Vice President Harris’s announcement of her candidacy after President Biden decided to exit the race.
The final visit on Kelly’s informational tour was Kennesaw State University, where Kerwin Swint, a political science professor, discussed the youth vote’s tendency to support Democratic presidential candidates since the Obama years. Swint also mentioned the increased turnout in 2020, partly due to mail-in balloting.
During National Voter Registration Day, the nonpartisan group Poder Latinx set up a tent on Kennesaw’s campus, successfully registering 81 voters. Among the newly registered was Yahir Rodriguez, a first-year student and first-generation voter. Rodriguez cited immigration, education, the economy, and housing as his top concerns. He noted the rising rent and housing prices exacerbated by corporate landlords.
However, not all young voters shared this optimistic view. Lambianze Jackson, a 19-year-old student, expressed dissatisfaction with both candidates’ policies. Despite planning to vote for Harris, Jackson, who was influenced by the overturning of Roe v Wade, felt that Harris needed to better articulate her policies.
This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, Kira Wakeam, and Alejandra Marquez Janse, edited by Courtney Dorning, with Sami Yenigun serving as the executive producer.
