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Everyone goes to the voting booth with their own list of priorities. In our polling, we at GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students have found that an overwhelming number of Georgia voters care deeply about early childhood issues and choose their candidates with those issues in mind.
Voters may wonder if and how their state and local candidates will work to help families afford child care. What about making essential baby care items such as diapers more affordable? Or prioritizing maternal and child health?
To help our state’s voters get the answers they need, GEEARS sent a query to every single Georgia candidate in a contested Congressional, State House, and State Senate race asking this question:
Georgia is often touted as the best state to do business. How would you ensure that it is also the best place to raise young children?
We also told the candidates why we were asking: “GEEARS routinely surveys parents and caregivers from across the state and often hears that they feel overlooked and left out of policy decisions that affect their families and communities. This is your opportunity to tell voters how you plan to support Georgia’s families with young children.”
Want to read what our 60+ respondents said? Their answers can be found in our 2024 Voter Guide, the comprehensive, non-partisan resource we publish every election year to help Georgians make informed decisions at the polls.
Here’s what else you’ll find in the guide:
- Key election information like important dates and deadlines, as well as voter registration and absentee ballot resources
- Explanations of relevant offices and their candidates
- Early childhood-related questions that you can ask your candidates
- Links to GEEARS-commissioned polls that highlight priorities and trends amongst Georgia voters and parents of young children
- A social media toolkit so you can spread the word about early childhood issues and the importance of voting this election season
Of course, to use what you learn from this guide, you must be registered to vote! So, while you’re studying, make sure you also go here to register or to check your voter registration status. (Even if you’re certain you’re still on the voting rolls, you should double check.)
Concerned about finding the time to vote due to your job, transportation challenges, or your young children? You’re not alone. Women with infants are seven percent less likely to vote and other parents can also struggle to fit voting into their schedules. But if you plan to vote on one of Georgia’s many early voting days instead of waiting until November 5th—you’re more likely to make it happen. Georgia voters have three weeks before Election Day for early voting, including two Saturdays. Your county may also offer voting on Sunday. Go here for your own early voting hours and locations.
And when you’re planning to vote with little ones, remember: They are welcome at the polls and have every right to be with you while you vote. But, to smooth your path, don’t forget to pack a Go Bag with snacks, drinks, books, toys, and the promise to hand over that precious, peachy Georgia Voter sticker after the outing.
While you’re at it, you can use your winsome children to inspire others. GEEARS is asking parents and caregivers to submit photos or videos of their kids urging grown-ups to vote, vote, vote! All who send us their cuties will be entered in a raffle to win a gift card. We’ll have six winners.
Whether you’re a parent, an educator, a business leader, or otherwise, it benefits all of us to support children in their first five years of life. In the coming weeks, you can express that support by voting! We are our children’s voice because they can’t vote for themselves. But they are our future.
This is sponsored content.
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