American voters saw contrasts between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during the Sept. 10 presidential debate in Philadelphia, but those differences were largely in style, leaving some voters wanting to know more about their policy ideas.
Here are the issues that ranked highest in importance to Georgia voters, according to a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll:
Inflation/Cost of Living
The most pressing issue on voters’ minds is what they feel when they go to the grocery store, buy gas and pay their mortgage or rent: a growing pinch.
More than one-quarter of respondents, about 27%, said inflation and the cost of living will have the biggest influence on their vote for president — a rate similar to June. Those pocketbook issues cut across race, gender and income level, and they ranked highest on the list for voters from 18 to 29.
Mason Brown, 29, who lives in Liberty County, said his family has had to scale back purchases to accommodate higher prices.
”We don’t eat out. We used to go shopping and go on vacations pretty regularly. There’s none of that anymore,” he said.
Although gas prices in Georgia topped $3 this summer, they’re headed back down. And although the U.S. has seen its inflation figures reduced in comparison with other developed countries, many voters still feel their dollar is not going as far as before.
Economy/Jobs
Consistent from this summer, voters remained concerned about the nation’s broader economy and job growth, with about 15% listing it as their top priority.
The Federal Reserve announced this week that it was making a half-point interest rate cut, a larger than expected amount, which should make it easier for consumers and businesses to borrow money and lower credit card rates.
Richard Hendricks, a 71-year-old in Hickory Flat, sells stainless steel hardware to power companies.
He supported Trump’s approach to taxes and said it helped him as a small-business owner.
“I saw what worked. I want more of that. You know, that was what really helped my business,” Hendricks said.
Preserving Democracy
About 18% of voters in the AJC poll see the stakes of this coming election about “preserving democracy” and the future of the country. However, there was a sharp partisan contrast. While 32% of Democrats said it was their top priority, only 4% of Republicans said the same.
The presidential election in Georgia may hinge on persuading independent voters, and about 16% of them also listed “preserving democracy” as their No. 1 issue.
Trump has faced several charges since leaving office, including attempts to overturn the election results in 2020 and mishandling classified documents. He also was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to pay hush money to adult film actor Stormy Daniels.
But prosecutors’ efforts have hit roadblocks. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents are largely immune from prosecution, and Trump’s prosecution in Georgia is on hold while an appeals court considers whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the case. One of Trump’s co-conspirators in Georgia, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, won’t be charged in the election interference case after a state prosecutor said he was declining to pursue criminal charges.
Mark Scott, a Johns Creek attorney, said he was once “the biggest Republican on the planet.” But Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 defeat turned Scott into a Harris supporter.
“I think, more than anything else, I believe in democracy and the Constitution and the rule of law, and I don’t think Trump even understands what that is,” he said.
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Abortion
Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Georgia on Friday to show support for expanding abortion rights and blame former President Donald Trump’s policies for the deaths of two Georgia women who died in 2022 after complications from abortion pills.
About 8% of voters in the AJC poll said abortion access would determine their presidential preference, mirroring June’s numbers. Among women, 12% listed it as their highest concern, compared with 3% of men.
“As a woman, I feel not safe trying to have a child. I feel like my rights would be threatened if something were to happen to that child,” said Kimberly Takatsu, 26, who lives in McDonough.
Even some Republicans disagreed with current limits on abortion access.
“When it comes to abortion, I believe it’s a woman’s choice,” said Mark Pallotta of Buford, who said he plans to vote for Trump. He said if you are not a woman, “you shouldn’t try to be out there trying to make the rules.”
Immigration
Among all voters, 8% listed immigration as their primary concern in the AJC poll.
However, the issue varied widely across party lines. About 14% of Republicans said immigration was their main focus, compared with just 1% of Democrats. While Trump has sought to center the election debate on immigration, it may be a waning issue. Immigration dropped by 10 percentage points, from 24%, as a top concern among Republicans from the June AJC poll.
Trump has sought to tie Harris’ role overseeing the root causes of migration to the historically high number of unlawful border crossings that have occurred during the presidency of President Joe Biden. Harris blames Trump for killing a bipartisan border security deal she said would have addressed many of those issues.
