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Georgia is once again in the limelight with its upcoming election. Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) Dr. Laura Young, associate professor of political science, is weighing in on the critical points people should know going into voting.

“Georgia is a swing state,” said Young. “That means that if the state were to veer towards a democratic consensus, there’s a 91% chance the next presidential election will follow suit.”

Young said that topics most people want to hear about are abortion rights and the worrying levels of inflation hitting the economy. Young thinks both issues are going to be crucial to who wins the election. Inflation is currently the big topic, as it affects everyone.

However, the issue of abortion rights has dominated headlines with the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. Young said candidates should delve deeper into the issues. At present, she said, candidates are not talking about policies; it’s either “one extreme or the other.”

“Everyone knows that one of the candidates is pro-life and the other is pro-choice,” she said. “But what about the policy? If there is no abortion, what are candidates going to do to support maternal health in Georgia?”

With that example, Young said that candidates don’t do enough discussing of actual policies they plan to implement if elected. She noted a plethora of “name dragging” and “mud-slinging” through which both sides seek to discredit their opponents rather than discuss policies.

“This is typical in a lot of races,” she said. “Candidates talk about scandalous issues that will grab headlines. That works for a little bit, but at the end of the day, it’s the policies that matter. People want to know what the candidates will do to make their lives better.”

Young’s advice for both sides of the debate is simple: People just need to vote, even those who are on the fence about the issues.

“A lot of the times people in the middle who don’t like either candidate just won't show up,” Young said. “And so, the very first thing they need to consider is voting. They need to look at the candidates and determine who's going to be the best representative of the state because their politicians are reflections of the state.”

Young said if people don’t vote, assumptions can be made that they are alright with whoever wins the election. Even if it’s a write-in ballot, Young said it’s important for voter’s voices to be heard.

“If the numbers are low and a number of people submit write-in ballots, it sends a message to politicians that they don’t have a blank check to do whatever they want.”

Young said voters also need to consider the reputation of the state and who they want to elect to be the face of Georgia.

Finally, she said people need to think about the long-term impacts of the election.

“A lot of people think about short-term policies and issues,” she said. Inflation is a big deal, but what are your children and grandchildren going to face when it comes to issues like climate change, affirmative action. Who’s going to vote on these policies that benefit you not only now, but future generations, because that’s what it’s all about.”