Local Elections Hold High Stakes for Atlanta’s Black Community – Capital B News

Rashad Brown knows the race for the White House isn’t the only important election happening in Georgia right now.

The 32-year-old behavioral health counselor recently asked, through our new Ask Capital B community helpline, why local elections are important since they generally don’t attract as much attention as presidential elections although they play a “vital role” in the community.

Brown is not alone. Many voters have difficulty recognizing the names of all the candidates running for positions such as county commissioner, sheriff or local judge, and it is often unclear what powers these positions confer.

In response, Capital B called local election experts and dialed back some of our own election coverage to answer Brown’s question — and maybe yours.

Why primaries are important

First, let’s understand how primaries work in Georgia, since the May 21st election is a primary election. Primary season determines which candidates will represent their political parties in general elections, but Democratic and Republican primary races may be more crucial than some people think in places like Fulton County.

LaShandra Little, voter education and outreach manager, points out that Fulton County has a heavily Democratic electorate, so the outcome of Democratic primary races often determines who gets to serve in heavily Democratic local offices and legislative districts. structured.

She noted that in some elections, Republicans don’t even bother to run a candidate in the general election.

“(If) no one objects on the other side, (the winner of the Democratic primary) will be the winner,” Little said.

Early voting has already begun for several key local, county and state legislative elections, ballot issues and primaries expected to be decided by May 21. Voting rights advocates say the outcome of some of these elections was just as much, if not more,. of directly impacting the lives of people in the Atlanta metro area as the nation’s next president.

Voters concerned about the disturbing string of deaths at the Fulton County Jail, for example, will want to vote for the Fulton County sheriff’s race. Those concerned about county property taxes and the lack of medical services in their communities should vote in the Fulton County commissioner race, where three of six total seats are up for grabs this year. Those who want to overturn the state law restricting abortion may want to weigh in on the state Supreme Court race.

Issues that concern Black Georgians most, such as housing, health care, rent prices, employee compensation, public safety, criminal justice reform, potholes and property taxes , will all be affected by the results of several elections decided this month, according to Helen Butler, executive director. director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, a voter engagement and voting rights nonprofit organization.

“If you want your roads paved, if you want your child’s school to have a certain curriculum, that’s determined by a local person, not the president,” Butler said. “Everything is local.”

A complete breakdown of the candidates and issues at stake in each race is available in the 2024 Voter Guide provided by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Civic Center.

Electoral redistricting

It is also important to recognize the impact of redistricting on this year’s elections.

A number of new majority-black districts in the House, Senate and U.S. Congress were created in December after the Georgia General Assembly was forced to redraw the state’s political district maps.

A federal judge determined earlier last year that the previous maps diluted black voting power in areas of the state where an influx of blacks moved over the past decade.

Little said U.S. Rep. David Scott’s district no longer includes Fulton County because of heavily redrafted new maps approved by Republicans at the state level last year. Scott has worked in Georgia’s U.S. Congressional District 13 since 2003.

Little said some Black elders in Fulton County who voted for Scott for two decades were confused because he was no longer on their ballots. She encourages Fulton County voters to check the state’s My Voter page before going to the polls to ensure their precincts and candidates have not changed as a result of redistricting.

Other long-time incumbents in the newly drawn districts include state Senators Donzella James and Jason Esteves.

“They automatically assume their ballot is wrong when in fact they were redistricted,” Little said of some Fulton County voters she met this year. “I’d rather people know before they go…so they’re not too caught off guard.”

This story is brought to you by Ask Capital B, our community help desk initiative powered by your questions. Curious about local elections, who’s running, and where they stand on the issues that matter to you? Tell us what you want to know and we’ll find the answers.