The 2024 American Electorate Voter Poll shows that Black voters want revamped voting laws, legal access to reproductive health care, and elected officials who genuinely care about upholding and expanding civil rights. Put simply, their priorities align with the work of the ACLU of Georgia, particularly on reproductive justice and voting rights.
“We improved the pro-civil liberties margin in the Georgia State House,” said ACLU of Georgia Executive Director Andrea Young, referring to the election of pro-reproductive rights legislators to House Districts 105 and 145 of the General Assembly. “When people are able to talk to voters about the issues, where you have discussions and how that relates to their vote, it does have an impact, and we’ll continue to have an impact.”
The findings of the poll, led by the African American Research Collaborative and BSP Research, were highlighted among a trove of data about all voters during a press briefing last week. Young joined a coalition of advocacy organizations that reflected on the results and “what it is that Black voters are really interested in.”
Young noted Georgia saw an increase in total votes compared to the 2020 presidential election. She attributed the jump in voting to the work of advocacy groups fighting back against voter suppression and a State Election Board pushing chaotic rules. More voters made their voices heard despite 32 bomb threats at mostly Black polling places on Election Day, she said. Our Voter Access Project placed nearly 150 poll observers at polling stations in 22 counties on Election Day; the legal team has been involved in about 20 voting rights cases this year.
Among the poll’s findings:
- Georgia voters expressed overwhelming support for passing a new voting rights act to ensure that all eligible American citizens can vote without barriers, including 89 percent of Black voters.
- More than eight out of 10 voters of color in Georgia support a federal law that guarantees access to abortion and gives women control over their own medical decisions.
- While generally hopeful, Black voters have serious concerns about a second Trump term ushering in hate, division, violence and bloodshed.
- Georgia voters also expressed high levels of trust for the election results to be handled fairly and counted accurately, with 81 percent of Black voters saying they mostly or completely trust the process.
- The most important issues for Black voters in Georgia were the cost of living and inflation (52 percent), jobs and the economy (30 percent), and health care costs (29 percent).
Watch Young’s full remarks below.
