Much has been reported about the recent surge in early voting in Georgia, especially among African Americans. There are many reasons for this, but one project that is clearly having an impact is "Don't Wait in '08" launched by the Fulton County Democratic Party.
During the Spring and Summer of 2008, we were fortunate to have a full team of paid Obama staff (over 200) throughout Georgia. This was a rare treat for a red state that's been generally ignored by National Democratic organizations and campaigns in recent years.
Together with thousands of volunteers, Obama staffers were able to register almost 200,000 new voters in Georgia. These new registrations, combined with the high level of excitement surrounding the November election, resulted in turnout projections of between 85-95%.
Many of us working at the county party level realized early on that we wouldn't have a G-O-T-V problem, but instead would have a voter management problem in November. Our election system was never designed, and is not equipped, to handle this level of turnout.
The consensus was there were simply not enough hours in the day to handle the number of voters who would be turning out on November 4th. As well, several unreported failures at polling places in Fulton County during the Presidential Primary in January, revealed the fragility of the voting system.
The decision was made by the Fulton County Democratic Party to embark on a countywide publicity campaign to encourage voters in Fulton to vote early, vote by absentee ballot or vote during advance voting week. Fulton is the largest county in Georgia and comprises about 10% of the state's population.
The project was dubbed Don't Wait in '08, and was designed to consist equally of high and low tech advertising. Project resources distributed by community activists include: posters, flyers, buttons, and absentee ballot request forms. Paid advertising includes: TV and radio spots, community newspapers, and email.
During the first month it was launched, the feedback from the community was very positive and we began to get requests from other Democratic County Parties in Metro Atlanta to share materials. At this writing, there are now 18 groups participating, including the 8 county Democratic Parties that make up the Atlanta Metro region. Customized materials, with county specific voting information, have been provided to each participating group.
By no means is this the only program of its kind in Georgia, but we believe this is among the most comprehensive and best financed, and is having a significant impact on early voting turnout.
So far, we've dropped more than 50,000 pieces of lit in Fulton County alone, with more arriving for distribution this week. A county-wide postcard mailing lands next week, and radio spots on the two largest African-American radio stations start Friday. Our TV spots are on-air now, and we've purchased time on CNN and MSNBC during the debate tomorrow night. You can see the spot here, and again, the project website is www.dontwaitin08.com.
Anyone who wants to help this effort can make a contribution to the Fulton County Democratic Party. We're spending everything we've got to get the word out about early, absentee and advance voting in Georgia and we could use your help. To make an online contribution, go to www.fultondems.com.