Isabella Gonzalez, a 22-year-old voter who grew up in Athens and attends the University of Georgia, has a personal tie to the upcoming mayoral election, as she used to babysit for the current mayor, Kelly Girtz.
There are 80,500 registered voters in Clarke County, and 18-24-year-olds make up 10,067 of those voters. This age group spans just six years wide, yet makes up 12.5% of the voting population, so their voices cannot be overlooked in local elections.
“I think what I’m focusing on in this mayoral election is equity as a general topic, more specifically as it pertains to public housing and social infrastructure,” Gonzalez said.
Girtz is term-limited and cannot run again. Gonzalez plans to vote for candidate Tim Denson, who built his platform on affordability and availability.
Local elections in Clarke County are nonpartisan, meaning all candidates are listed on a ballot without a party label, unlike state and federal elections. Gonzalez said party association makes it harder to identify with a candidate in those larger races.
“I think I speak for a lot of my peers when I say it’s really hard not to have burnout with the current political climate, especially when you have only two consistent parties that you’re able to vote for, and neither party represents your views necessarily,” Gonzalez said.
Caroline Scurlock is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science at the University of Georgia.
