(AFP) – As the United States hurtles toward a presidential election this November between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, AFP has been taking the temperature in key counties of seven battleground states. Turnout in Georgia’s populous Fulton County, a Democratic bastion which includes most of the capital Atlanta, will be crucial in deciding who wins the southern state — and its coveted 16 electoral college votes. This makes it a county pivotal to both presidential candidates.
Here is what some voters are saying:
– **Attorney Natalie Wood**
Natalie Wood, 50, said abortion is an important issue when she decides who she would vote for, likening reproductive issues to other forms of health care. “I think as women, we have the right to do what we want with our bodies, and we can answer to whoever our higher power is later on,” she said. “I am Christian. But I feel the ultimate judge is God for me, and people in power should not tell me what I can choose to do with my body,” added Wood, who has a daughter. “I think that it’s not right.”
– **Health care worker Justin Tate**
Justin Tate, a 43-year-old health care worker, said he worries about inequality and is committed to voting for a brighter future for his daughter. Socio-economic conditions are among his main concerns, including fair and equal pay for men and women. For him, it matters that someone like his seven-year-old “will have the opportunities to be a part of society” and see a woman running for president. He is also seeking a White House candidate who will try to address disparities in society and “help fellow Americans to be able to survive.”
– **Retiree Sheila Grant**
Sheila Grant, who is retired, said fair housing and medical care for older citizens are issues that she cares most strongly about. Among other problems, housing costs are “astronomical,” said the 66-year-old. “Social Security is not enough, and it’s dwindling,” Grant said, adding that she worries about the state of funds for the next generation who needs them. “We need somebody that’s going to look out for us, look out for our tomorrows,” she said. She also worries the country could enter a “deep recession” at some point.
– **Student Justin Sims**
Justin Sims said he recently registered to vote in Georgia, at a booth set up in Morehouse College, where he is a sophomore. “I would encourage everybody my age to vote, because everyone’s vote is very important,” said the 19-year-old. What matters to him is “being heard and being understood,” he said, noting the right to go to the polls has been hard-fought. Sims expressed concern that his community could get pulled “back to a state of oppression that I’m really hopeful that our country is getting out of.” A candidate that is in touch with education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, he said, is also appealing. “Georgia is a swing state. It makes it even more important that I do come out and cast my own ballot,” he said.
– Beiyi SEOW
© 2024 AFP
