How to Help Democrats Win in Georgia by Boosting Youth Turnout

Joe Biden won Georgia in 2020 by just 11,779 votes. But this year, before he withdrew from the race, the state looked like a lost cause for Democrats. Now, it’s back in play, with polls showing Harris and Trump tied. Voter turnout will likely decide the outcome here and, more specifically, whether low-propensity Democratic voters cast ballots. No group may matter more in this regard than Georgia’s young people. 

According to CIRCLE, a research center at Tufts, Georgia is one of ten states where 18-29-year-olds will have the biggest impact on the presidential election. Young Blacks are especially key, with more than 500,000 registered to vote. In 2020, CIRCLE called them “a major force in the Georgia electorate”—helping both Biden and two Democratic Senate candidates win. If young Black voters again turn out at high levels this year, Harris will have a far better chance to carry the state.

No organization is more dialed into this challenge and working harder to get young Georgians to vote than the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition.

Why Turning Out Young Voters in Georgia Matters So Much in This Election

The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition (GYJC) is part of the Alliance for Youth Action, a national hub for growing work to catalyze youth civic empowerment that I recommended a few days ago. Blue Tent is placing such a big focus on engaging young people this year for three reasons:

First, young people are one of the least mobilized key Democratic constituencies, turning out at much lower levels than older Americans. When they do vote, though, they have recently supported Democrats by double-digit margins—Biden won these voters by 25 points, with vastly higher margins among young people of color. 

Second, although young people favor Harris over Trump by a wide margin, that lead is not nearly as large as Biden’s in 2020. More work is needed, and fast, to galvanize higher Democratic support among young people. 

Third, investments in youth organizing pay dividends for many years to come. The earlier young people are drawn into civic life and start to vote regularly, the more elections (and policy battles) they’ll help to sway. 

All these factors are magnified in Georgia, where Black, Latino, and AAPI voters make up nearly half of all eligible young people. In 2020, according to CIRCLE, “90% of Black youth in the state voted for Biden. . . highlighting how Black youth were driving forces behind Biden’s victory.” Still, just 40% of eligible young Blacks cast ballots that year, compared to 55% of young white Georgians.

How the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition Engages Young Voters

The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition is the premier youth organizing group in the state. In 2022, it led the largest youth mobilization effort in Georgia, reaching tens of thousands of young voters. It has ramped up its work this year and says it has already knocked on 100,000 doors, with plans to knock on 100,000 more. GYJC hosts multiple organizing events every week around Georgia to engage young people and also runs virtual phone banking sessions.

This organization’s work could literally decide who wins Georgia—and, in a very close election, who wins the presidency. But GYJC has still not raised enough money to fund its voter outreach work through November 5 and needs another $250,000—or less than the cost of a single national campaign ad on prime-time TV this fall. I hope you can pitch in to close the gap.