Tamieka Atkins, the Executive Director of ProGeorgia, has registered more than 250,000 Georgia residents vote since 2012. She also has mobilized more than 2.5 million people during that time frame. However, Atkins reveals the challenges and complexities of the 2024 Presidential Election in the Peach State. ProGeorgia is a bold and diverse collaborative that champions an equitable and inclusive democracy, for and with traditionally underrepresented communities. ProGeorgia supports and coordinates the civic engagement programs of their diverse partner organizations.
She emphasized the importance of sustained voter engagement beyond election day, criticizing the tendency to overhype elections as magic solutions. Atkins says participating in a democracy n is not a one time thing. She stresses people must get into the habit of voting as either the beginning or the culmination of a year-long effort.
“Where we go wrong is selling this election – or any election – as if all of the problems are going to be fixed,” explains Atkins. “Where we tell them, if you just cast this one ballot, everything will magically be better. I believe that is a big part of the disenfranchisement. Because, what happens if you tell people ‘tomorrow your life will be better’, and their life does not change?
Atkins highlighted Pro Georgia’s efforts, which have grown from thirteen to sixty-two partner organizations, focusing on data-driven outreach to low-propensity voters. ProGeorgia develops the infrastructure, executes the joint strategies, and employs new tools and technology to assure a government that is more responsive to the needs of their constituencies.
“We use data to say, to pull the numbers and identify low propensity voters,” explains Atkins. “Where are they? Who are they? How do we make sure we talk to them multiple times a year?Regardless of whether or not it’s a presidential election or statewide election? How do we figure out what are the issues that matter to them, and then connect them to organizations in their community so it’s not just about the voting. So it’s not exploitative.”
ProGeorgia is a data-driven operation
Atkins says ProGeorgia does not conduct huge voter registration programs. However, the organization keeps track of the data provided by the Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office. They want to ensure by Election Day, individuals that don’t vote often are on the rolls and can vote.
“If there are any flags that prevent them from voting such as an address isn’t right, or there’s not a name match, or we actually have contact information that allows us to call them,” Atkins says. “We’re going to explain it to you very straightforwardly, what you need, and here’s where you go. How do we make it as easy as possible for people to fix the flags so that they can vote by election day, and then we keep talking to them. We do not stop talking to them once they vote, and it’s just how you build up trust. And we’ve done this since 2012.”
Once the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election is decided, the page will turn to Georgia’s statewide elections in 2026. Governor Brian Kemp is term-limited and cannot run for re-election. Meanwhile, every Statehouse and agency seat will be up for grabs. In the 2025 Legislative Session, Atkins pledges ProGeorgia, and its partners, will have these following strategies:
- Defending voting rights and preparing for potential attacks or restrictions
- Coordinating and amplifying the legislative strategies of partner organizations
- Preventing any failed changes from being reintroduced in future legislation
“We’re always on the defensive when it comes to any attacks or restrictions on voting rights,” says Atkins. “That is what we are anticipating and preparing for for the next legislative session. Many of the attempted changes that were not put into effect this fall, we want to make sure that they don’t show up in legislation next year.”