Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young rode his scooter along with Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock, Martin Luther King III and a crowd of passionate marchers on a recent Sunday through a neighborhood downtown Atlanta.
The group stopped at an early voting location to cast their ballots, forming a line with some having to wait up to an hour to vote.
At 90, Young says he is selective about his public appearances but feels the “Opposite Visitors” event is an event where he can motivate Black voters in the election. tussle in the US Senate Tuesday between Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker — a Historical duel between two black men.
Community leaders and political observers say that Black ballots have consistently played an important role in high-stakes races for Democrats, including in 2021, when Warnock beat then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler on a run.
A key demographic for Democrats: Black voters are likely to vote almost unanimously in favor of the Democratic Party (96% Warnock vs 3% Walker), according to one study. CNN poll released last week shows Warnock with a tight lead.
A second overall victory for Warnock may again depend on black voter turnout in a consequential race. If Warnock wins, it would give Democrats a clean majority in the Senate – a party that doesn’t depend on Vice President Kamala Harris’s equal vote and allows Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to control more of the committees. key committees and some delays in administrative and judicial confirmations are potentially divisive.
Voting is the “road to prosperity” for the Black community, Young said. He noted that Atlanta’s public transportation system and economic growth were made possible by voters.
“Where we voted, we prospered,” Young said.
The protest led by Young, King and Warnock appears to have resonated with many Black voters in Georgia. Early voting surges across the state last week with long lines of reports throughout the greater Atlanta area.
The early voting numbers look promising: As of Sunday, more than 1.85 million ballots had been cast, with Black voters making up nearly 32% of the voter turnout, according to the Office of the Secretary of State of Georgia. The early voting period, significantly shortened from 2021, ended on Friday.
Billy Honor, organization director for New Georgia Project Action Fundsaid Black voter turnout so far looks promising for Democrats.
“When we get Black voter turnout in any statewide election between 31 and 33 percent, that’s generally good for Democrats,” Honor said. . “If it’s between 27 and 30 percent, that’s generally good for Republicans.”
Honor added: “This has an impact on elections because we know that if you are the Democratic candidate, the coalition that you have to assemble is a certain number of highly qualified whites. school, a number of women in general, as well as many young people. people you can attract – and Black voters. That’s the alliance. (Former president) Barack Obama was able to smash that alliance in 2008 in ways we’ve never seen before.”
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