We all know it is important to vote. Yet, many don’t in Glynn County. I hope that changes in the 2024 election cycle. Here’s a look at where the biggest growth opportunities are in our electorate.
Glynn county ranks as the 31st most populous among 159 counties in Georgia with 86,172 residents (US Census Bureau 2023) and 69,488 registered voters (GA Secretary of State). We have registered a little over 7500 new voters since the 2020 General Election. Of those on the registered voter list, 60,187 are active, meaning they have participated in an election or had other contact with the state’s election system sometime in the past five years.
Demographically in Glynn County, 65% of registered voters are White, 21% are Black non-Hispanic, about 3% are Hispanic, 1.2% are Asian or Pacific Islander, 0.7% are American Indian/Alaska Native, and about 9% are categorized as “other.” Interestingly, white voters in the county skew older than any other racial demographic with 35% of white voters being in age groups over 60 years old. Among all registered voters, 25% are younger voters between 18-34 years old while 31% are over the age of 60.
Who is showing up to vote is a different picture than who can vote in our county. In the 2022 midterm elections, Glynn County had a 57% voter turnout. Nationally, that is comparatively high for a midterm; in 2022, we saw just 46% participation in the US. Within that relatively high turnout rate, 75% of the voters who turned out to vote in the 2022 midterms were white and 15% were Black non-Hispanic. Women showed up in greater numbers with 55% of the turnout versus 45% among men. And within that large group of younger voters mentioned in the registration numbers, we only saw a 10% turnout rate. In contrast, 54% of voters who turned out were over 60. Down the ballot, Republican candidates received roughly 65% of the vote and Democratic candidates received about 33% on average. More than two thirds of all votes cast in the 2022 midterm were early and absentee votes (2022 Election Summary Report).
While I used 2022 data as a recent demonstration, we are consistent in these trends both in midterm and presidential election years in recent history. Younger and non-white voters turn out at disproportionately lower rates than older white voters. Whether that is good or bad for your preferred candidate, it’s not great for the democratic process. When it comes to representation, more is merrier.
Here’s how you can ensure your vote in the November 5th General Election. First, you must be registered to vote before October 7th, 2024. You can register online or by mail at https://georgia.gov/register-vote. You should also check the Georgia “My Voter Page” to be sure you are listed as an active voter. If you’re not, you can update your information there as well.
According to the Glynn County Board of Elections, “all three county early voting locations will be open for each election in the 2024 election cycle.” For the November election, early voting will take place Oct. 15-Nov. 1. and typically runs Monday through Saturday at three locations: Ballard Community building, Board of Elections Office, and Fire Station #2 on St Simons. Since the early voting information has not yet been published, you should verify these locations closer to October.
In the simplest terms, a democratic republic is a representative government elected by the people. For it to keep churning – and that is not a given – it requires that the people participate. My hope is that every one of you votes this November. Whether through early in-person voting, early absentee voting, or in-person at your designated precinct, the time to make a plan for how and when you will vote is now.
Dr. Heather Farley is Chair of the Department of Business and Public Administration and Associate Professor of Public Management at the College of Coastal Georgia. She is an associate of the College’s Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies and an environmental policy scholar. The opinions found in this article do not necessarily represent those of the College of Coastal Georgia.
Reg Murphy Center