No Matter the Outcome, Black and Brown Women Already Won this Election
With a competitive gubernatorial election this year, Georgia in the eye of the political storm that is the 2018 election. And for good reason. We are in the midst of an historic election and regardless of the outcome there is already a clear winner: eligible women voters of color in Georgia.
What we are seeing from Athens to Atlanta is an unprecedented level of interest, and more important, of participation in this election from black women and other women of color, from younger voters and others that make up the new American majority across Georgia, across the South, and across America.
During the Georgia primaries earlier this year, turnout among black voters skyrocketed, an unprecedented demonstration of political strength that delivered hope and promise for the November elections. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s analysis, black voters increased participation by 43 percent in the May 22 primaries when compared to the 2010 elections.
Now with Election Day upon us, the energy, enthusiasm and electricity has only intensified among black voters and other people of color, with no signs of dissipation. We are witnessing an energized coalition rising up in an inspiring fight for justice and a changing of the tide among the American electorate.
Despite intentional attempts at voter suppression though closing polling stations, sowing confusion about voter registration, and creating obstacles to voting for hundreds of thousands of Georgians, particularly people of color, this newly empowered electorate is demonstrating that will not go down without a fight.
This is a historic election, for sure. No matter the outcome, black and brown Georgians have already won in this election. The new electorate is the result of years of hard work by civic engagement groups and immeasurable time devoted to expanding voter registration and encouraging voter participation.
For example, approximately 62,000 women of color registered for the first time in 2014, between January 1 and the voter registration deadline. Importantly, many of those eligible voters are still on the rolls today and will represent a significant portion of this year’s electorate.
This year, the voter registration numbers are eye-popping. More than 144,000 women of color registered between January 1 and October 9, the close of voter registration in Georgia. That is more than double the number who registered in 2014. These numbers underscore the trend in Georgia where people of color are getting inspired, taking action, and making their voices heard in our elections.
To be sure, despite our progress there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that communities of color are represented. There is a deficit of representation at the State level. Women of color make up 23% of the state population, but only represent 8% of elected officials statewide. We must work not only to increase participation in our elections, but also increase the participation of people of color in our government. There’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure our voices are heard at the highest levels in Georgia.
Registration is turning into participation. Data in Georgia indicates that among women of color, early voting has more than doubled over 2014, an increase of almost half a million women of color voting early. And this is important when it comes to the outcome of the elections. This week, civil rights icon Andrew Young told CNN that black voter turnout will be the deciding factor in the 2018 midterm elections, particularly Georgia’s gubernatorial race.
While we do not yet know the outcome of the 2018 elections but what we do know is the voting landscape in Georgia has been changed forever. Women have seized an outsized share of the electorate, and more and more women of color are participating in our democracy. Regardless of the outcomes, this is a win for Georgia and for America.
