Voter Turnout Was High — But the Work Isn’t Over

In the wake of the 2020 elections, the National Council of Jewish Women’s Government Relations & Advocacy Intern and Fellow have each offered their unique perspectives on the historic Biden-Harris win. Today’s post comes from Sofia Rubinson, an incoming freshman at Cornell University and NCJW’s Fall 2020 Government Relations & Advocacy Intern.

****************************************************************

Presidential elections occur every four years, but the 2020 general election was certainly unique. In the midst of a global pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 243,000 Americans, citizens were tasked with voting in arguably one of the most consequential elections of our generation.

Some states — like New York, New Hampshire, and Tennessee — expanded the eligibility of voters to obtain absentee ballots, allowing social distancing as a valid excuse. Other states — like California, Nevada, and New Jersey — sent mail-in ballots to every registered voter. These measures allowed people to exercise their civic duty without jeopardizing their health in the process.

Unfortunately, not all states followed suit, and some government officials endeavored to decrease the legitimacy of mail-in ballots. In August, President Trump admitted to opposing additional funding to the United States Postal Service in order to make voting by mail more difficult. Then, in the days following the election when millions of mail-in ballots were still being counted, President Trump tweeted in all caps to “STOP THE COUNT!” of the legitimately cast ballots.

Despite these egregious efforts made to undermine the will of the American public, people still turned out to vote in record numbers. Although the counting of ballots is still ongoing, it is projected that 66.5 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2020 election, the highest turnout since 1900, when 73.7 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. However, it’s worth noting that the voting pool in 1900 was much smaller, without women, Asian Americans, Native Americans, people under 21, and many African Americans due to Jim Crow laws.

Both major presidential candidates received more votes than any other elected president in our history. So, what motivated people to get out the vote in record numbers, even in the midst of a pandemic? Let’s take a deeper look at one state: Georgia.

Georgia is viewed as a swing state, yet it has voted for the Republican presidential candidate since 1992. The 2018 midterm election in Georgia made national news when Stacey Abrams, the first African American woman to gain a major party nomination in Georgia, ran against Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp. In an extremely close race, Kemp came out on top. However, thousands of Georgians reported facing polling place closures, voter purges, missing absentee ballots, extreme wait times, and a host of voter ID issues — all of which disproportionally prevented people of color and students from casting their ballots.

Since 2018, Stacey Abrams has worked to register an estimated 800,000 voters in Georgia. Groups like the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) have been working to inform voters about how to vote by mail and make their voice heard safely. Additionally, organizations have helped re-register the thousands of voters who were purged from the voting rolls in 2018. With all of these efforts, the electorate in Georgia has been greatly expanded and mobilized. In 2020, President-Elect Joe Biden won the state with 49.5 percent of the vote to President Trump’s 49.2 percent. While Georgia is currently undergoing the largest hand recount in U.S. history, it is extremely unlikely that the results will be reverted as a recount has never changed margins by more than a few hundred votes.

But Georgia is important for more than just the presidency — the majority in the Senate is dependent on the two Senate run-off races. Almost all of the issues NCJW cares about — reproductive justice, equality, affordable health care, LGBTQ+ rights, fair and independent judicial nominations — ride on these races. That is because a divided government will likely result in blocked legislation and a lack of progress. A Biden/Harris administration may have many proposed legislative plans, but most is only possible under a united government.

So, what can you do to ensure that the turnout we saw in the general election matches or is exceeded in the Georgia Senate run-off races? Call everyone you know from Georgia and ensure that they are registered by December 7 (anyone who turns 18 by January 5, 2021, is eligible to vote). Requests for absentee ballots can be done here and should be sent back no later than December 18 if using US Postal Service. All absentee ballots must be received by close of voting on January 5. You can also join NCJW, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), Women of Reform Judaism, and Reclaim our Vote on December 14 and December 21 from 6–8 pm ET for phone banking opportunities to contact low turnout voters in Georgia.

As a first-time voter, this election meant so much to me. As the daughter of an immigrant, I understand the weight of exercising my civic responsibility and making my voice heard. Even if the Georgia races result in a divided government, I am confident that progress has still been made. I look forward to seeing what the Biden/Harris administration will accomplish to advance progressive goals, and how we can all play a part in protecting the rights of women, children, and families in the years ahead.