A new study by the Pew Research Center shows that Black eligible voters in Georgia are to thank for the 20-year growth the state has seen in its electorate.
The study, released Tuesday (December 15), details that the state’s voter population grew by 1.9 million between 2000 and 2019, 48% of that growth was Black voters.
Black voters in Georgia also grew the most compared to other groups in the state, rising from making up 27% of eligible voters in 2000 to 33% in 2019.
According to the study, the 2019 Black voter population in Georgia reached a record-breaking high of 2.5 million eligible voters. These voters make up a third of the state’s entire eligible voter population.
Researchers attribute this massive growth to the influx of Black people who have migrated to Georgia. Between 2000 and 2019, Black eligible voters born outside of Georgia made up 58% of the growth in the Black voter population.
Last year, 1.1 million out of 2.5 million Black eligible voters in Georgia weren’t born in the Peach State. That’s 43%, and represents a significant increase from 34% in 2000.
This growth represents the continued efforts of local and state activists, who have been putting in the work to mobilize Black voters, getting people registered, and out to the polls. Their labor being seen as Georgia emerged as a key battleground in the 2020 Presidential Election, ultimately flipping blue and awarding President-elect Joe Biden the state’s 16 electoral votes.
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