Shirley Franklin & Drew Ferguson on Georgia election stakes

Let's talk about Election Day, which is tomorrow. Georgia in the national political spotlight. Voters head to the polls tomorrow in two major races. Speaking of the U.S. Senate race here in Georgia and the governor's race. And we're bringing together two former elected leaders from opposite sides of the aisle to discuss what's at stake, what the results could mean for Georgia and the importance of protecting our democracy. Speaking of Mayor Shirley Franklin, she's a former Atlanta mayor and representative. Drew Ferguson, former congressman. So let's go ahead and bring them in. Thanks so much for your time today and joining us to talk about the elections. Thank you. Pleasure to be with you. Yes, great to have you all on the stream. First, let's talk about here the big picture, Georgia, a political background. Why do you think these two races are getting so much attention? And talk about what's really at stake here for the state. Well, it's really exciting. I mean, as former elected officials, we want people to be engaged in their politics and making the decisions. So the more people who vote and who are concerned about the issues, the better. And people seem to be concerned about the state of their lives, the cost of living, but they're also just generally Determined to have their voices heard, so that's a good thing. And I think what we've seen over the past few years is that enthusiasm regarding elections in our state has continued to grow. We see record turnout year after year. And we also see that Georgians have a lot of confidence in their election system. And they have confidence that their vote will actually matter and count. So I think that the combination of tight races, Maybe a reflection of the national environment, but most significantly, Georgians understand the importance of voting. Absolutely. And they do. We've seen record breaking numbers when it comes to early voting. So what do you think is driving voters to the polls ahead of this election this time around? What issues are most important to them? Well, I mean, I think Drew has hit on something that people vote when they believe that their vote counts and that their voice will be heard. And what we've seen over a period of years that more and more people, more and more Georgians believe that their vote counts and that elected Elected officials will listen to them. And pay attention to the issues that they care about. Georgia is a dynamic state. It's a diverse state. We have a diverse economy. So there are a lot of different issues. People are looking for jobs. They're looking for housing. They're looking for health care. They're looking for good schools. And. Participating in the election allows you to voice your opinion about who will best represent you in making those decisions. I see and I hear constantly from voters that they're really focused on a few key items in their lives. One of them is a job and the economy. Safety and security in their homes and their neighborhoods is a high priority. As Mayor Franklin indicated, education is really important. And then I think Georgians want to have a belief that they've got a sense of place and it's a place where they can enjoy living and have a say in the outcome of their lives. And so I think that these races reflect that. And I think on major topics around the economy and education and safety and security and their individual freedoms, I think I think, I think. Georgians are looking forward to tomorrow to speak in their mind. And now you've both won elections and served in public office. What are you watching for tomorrow night that could tell us where Georgia politics is heading next? Well, I'll go first, but I'm looking to see record levels of people who have voted. I'm looking for the vote count to be efficient and effective and believable. Um, and I'm looking for all Georgians to get behind the winners. Um, it is important when you have an election that people believe, um, that they have had their chance to speak through their ballot and voter integrity, uh, election integrity, uh, is key. So we see that by the turnout, we see it by the enthusiasm. Um, we also see it because candidates offer themselves for office. So the combination of election integrity, excitement about the issues, and the determination to be heard. And I agree with the mayor that turnout is going to be the thing to keep an eye on. I think most observers will tell you that they are expecting very high turnout levels. I think it's an indication of the level of enthusiasm. It may be a level of concern of where someone is in their life right now. But at the end of the day, we're all Georgians. Having confidence that our election system is fair and transparent is something that we've seen an increase in in recent years. And it gives us the confidence to know that when a winner is declared tomorrow night in any of these races, the Georgians can have confidence that the election was held fairly. And you're saying that, you know, people turned out in record numbers, it appears, because they believe, they have trust, they have faith in the elections process. So what are the biggest threats to election security in Georgia, if any? Well, there have been any number of improvements in the election process, certainly the use of technology, the training of the staff, the commitment of the staff, the election workers are their neighbors, and in some cases, their friends. So there's a great deal of confidence in the people who are conducting the election, and I don't think we give them enough credit. And I think state government has really worked hard to make sure that these elections run smoothly and that people have confidence in them. The Secretary of State's office has been working incredibly hard to make sure that the resources are there. I think someone said earlier that the long lines may be a thing of the past, meaning that the elections run efficiently, voters are able to get in. That all drives confidence in the election process. But bottom line, Georgians wanna say in their future and they're willing to show up and vote because they believe their vote matters. Absolutely. And you two come from two different political parties. You're working together, though, through the Democracy Defense Foundation. So you're showing that Republicans and Democrats can still find common ground. Talk about ways that leaders on both sides of the aisle can contribute to this and move this forward. Well, elected leaders and civic leaders, business leaders, faith leaders, everyone has to be willing to have a conversation to recognize that the value of the difference of opinion actually improves the outcome. So we have been working together for a couple of years with Senator Chambliss. And Governor Barnes, all of us are former elected officials, we've come together around election integrity and been willing to state our opinions and actually to stake our reputations on the fairness and the integrity of the elections because we are observing what's going on at the Secretary of State's office and in the local, in the counties. And again, the people who are running the election are people who live in the communities and they care enough to be trained and to perform these services. So a big thank you to them. I will say that I think that as we look out into the future, having not only voters but having elected officials have confidence in the election process is important. If people feel confident in the elections and they know that their voice is heard, elected officials respond to that. They understand that the state may want more of some policies or they may wanna go in a in a different direction. But ultimately, confidence in the election is really a voice, is the voice of the people being heard. And elected officials will respond to the direction that the people wanna go. Rep Ferguson and Mayor Franklin, thanks so much for joining us to talk about this. Any final thoughts here ahead of Election Day on election security and what voters need to know as they head to the polls? Well, it's important that you go to your polling place tomorrow. It's important that you take state-issued ID. And it's important that you know about the candidates before you vote, but know that we are confident that the election will be fair and that it will be conducted with integrity. Yeah, I encourage everyone to go vote, understand the candidates, the issues, make informed decisions, but most importantly, go to the polls and cast your vote. All right. And polls open at seven o'clock in the morning. Mayor Shirley Franklin, Representative Drew Ferguson, thanks so much for joining us to talk about this ahead of Election Day. We appreciate your time and we hope you have a great rest of your day. Thank you. Thank you.