The Swing Voters Project, May 2024: Georgia

In this Article

• Context for Georgia Swing Voter Group
• Trump’s Trial in New York City
• Would a Trump Conviction Change Their Votes?
• Trump Trial Timelines
• Campaign Promises from Biden and Trump
• Protests on College Campus
• Views of the U.S. Economy

In May 2024, the Swing Voters Project checked in with 14 Georgia residents. The conversation touched on their knowledge of Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s campaign promises. The focus groups also discussed Trump’s trial in New York, the Israel-Hamas war protests on college campuses, and the state of the U.S. economy.

An ongoing collaboration between Sago and Engagious, the Swing Voter Project spotlights the views of voters in key battleground states. Focus group participants voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

Context for Georgia Swing Voter Group

The state of Georgia has 16 electoral votes, but which party they will go to in the 2024 election is too close to call. Over the last 50 years, the state has chosen mostly Republican candidates for president. However, the state’s voters did support Jimmy Carter, its Democratic former governor, during the elections in 1976 and 1980. The state also voted for Democrat Bill Clinton in the 1992 election. In 2020, Joe Biden won the state by a 0.2% margin.

Trump’s Trial in New York City

While the media covered former President Trump’s trial heavily, only two of the Georgia swing voters said they were paying close attention. Five of the focus group participants said they were staying somewhat up to date on the trial news.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

“There’s a lot of people that are on trial for the same thing. He just was the president at one point, so it doesn’t concern me.”

“I just think that he’s guilty and so I get some updates through my news sources, but I don’t feel the need to follow it very closely.”

The focus group participants said that even if Trump is convicted, they don’t expect him to face a harsh sentence. Their comments included:

“I feel between that case, the case in Georgia, and any other pending legal case that he’s got, he’s guilty of something and he’s going to be found guilty of something. He’s going to either finagle his way out of going to jail or he will end up spending, like, a night in jail and get a slap on the wrist.”

“I’m not expecting any profound thing to happen after the trial … guilty or not guilty. This is another day for him.”

“To a certain extent, he’s kind of untouchable … There’s a lot of big money behind him. It’s in their interest for him to be Trump and to be free and to be able to do what he needs to do in the White House.”

Would a Trump Conviction Change Their Votes?

Four of the Georgia voters said that if Trump is convicted of felonies, it would affect how they vote in the 2024 presidential election. For example, one man would prefer to vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but would change his vote depending on the outcome of the Trump trials.

He said, “I would either have to take a solid look at third-party to see if my vote would actually count or it would force me to vote Democrat, so Trump wouldn’t get electoral votes in the state of Georgia.”

Trump Trial Timelines

Eleven of the 14 Georgia voters said they’d like to see all of Trump’s trials resolved before the November election. Here’s why that’s important to them:

“Because we can see if he’s innocent or guilty.”

“Once he’s president, he gets a shield from being held accountable for anything he does. If we’re going to hold him accountable, it needs to be before he has the opportunity to possibly get the highest office in the land back.”

Campaign Promises from Biden and Trump

Only five of the 14 Georgia voters said they are closely following the presidential campaign in 2024. The focus group participants aren’t paying much attention to the candidates’ campaign promises.

Four could name something Biden has pledged to do, such as:

“He’s talked a lot about things for climate change and miles per gallon with vehicles and electric vehicles.”

“The economy and lowering gas [prices].”

“Prescription drug costs.”

“He’s talked about a continued boost of renewable energy and I think he’ll say that he’s trying to help American manufacturing.”

Five of the 14 Georgia voters could name something Trump has pledged to do in a second term, including the following:

“Cutting taxes for the middle class and for the upper class.”

“Well, obviously, secure the borders.”

“I’m pretty sure he pledged to become a dictator just for one day and then go after the media and crucify them.”

“I haven’t heard it directly from him, but I did see something about removing us from NATO, if I’m correct.”

Protests on College Campus

As protests against the war in Gaza continued across college campuses throughout the U.S., this group of Georgia voters didn’t voice much support for the protestors. Ten of them sided with the university administrators who called in police to clear protestor encampments.

Here’s what they had to say:

“I just don’t think school’s the place for it.”

“I believe they should be in school. That’s what you pay for, so I believe you should just be in class. You can do it on your off time, not on a college campus.”

“I would say it’s a matter of appropriateness, especially if [it’s] a private-run institution. They have a right to operate how they want to.”

Views of the U.S. Economy

The media continues to report on positive economic indicators, like a low unemployment rate, stock-market highs and reduced inflation. However, these Georgia voters have a less optimistic view of the U.S. economy. Several of them said the U.S. economy was in lousy shape and they believe that wages have not kept up with inflation.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

“Yeah, I would say that they’re talking about profits for corporations and not around the American people and how and what they’re going through.”

“I know they’re saying that inflation’s down, but it’s not down. I mean, we feel it at the gas pump and the grocery stores and just in general. And interest rates are high.”

“Gas prices, rent … I understand all that you just said, but it doesn’t seem like it’s trickled down to us yet.”

Keep up with the latest views of voters in battleground states this election year with monthly installments of the Swing Voter Project.