MACON, Ga. — With early voting starting Monday, the Democrat running for governor began a statewide bus tour to get voters out. And Stacey Abrams addressed the challenges of doing so.
Abrams was at Ft. Valley State University, a historically black college.
Polls show Abrams’ strongest supporters are black voters and young adults – both in abundance at this event.
"We’ve got to vote like our lives depend on it because they do," Abrams told the audience.
Last month, Republican Brian Kemp’s bus tour launched at a truck dealership – then at a gun store. His supporters were whiter and older. Historically, grandparents have voted in far greater numbers than their kids and grandkids.
Outside an African-American church in Macon Monday, Abrams worried that newly registered voters will stay home because of reports the state hasn’t fully processed 53,000 voter applications.
"The issue with the 53,000 (pending applications) is we have to make it very clear they can go to the polls," Abrams urged. "The challenge is whether they understand that and, more importantly, whether the 159 counties consider their IDs to be substantially compliant with the issue."
It’s a hurdle her backers say she doesn’t need at a time when she’s trying to rally non-traditional voters.
"The history of voter registration is always been looked upon in the African-American community in a negative way," said Pastor Henry Kennedy of Macon's Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. "What I mean by that, sir, is if it rains, we will not get out and vote."
Abrams will have to overcome that to have any chance to win.
She also accused Kemp of distorting her remarks recorded at an event last week where Abrams described "the blue wave“ of her support as including "those who have been told they are not worthy of being here. It is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented."
Undocumented immigrants can’t legally vote, but Republicans claimed those votes are part of Abrams election strategy.
"I never once argued for anyone who is not legally in the state of Georgia to be allowed to vote," she said emphatically.
