Making waves
Runoffs 2020: how students flipped the senate
Northview alum Mira Sydow hands out voting information cards in different languages on Runoff Day.
Photo by Grace Peng, Managing Online & Social Media Editor
Disha Kumar, Staff Writer & Grace Peng, Managing Online & Social Media Editor
As voters cast their ballots on Jan. 5, they helped shape the future of the federal government for the next two to six years, giving full policymaking power to Democrats. At the same time, they made history for their own state; for Georgia, which was a red state for 28 years, turning blue on Nov. 3 was nothing short of momentous, but the runoff election was an even greater feat for minority communities and the next generation of voters. Social media and all corners of the internet filled up with runoff-related content, rousing a new age of activists—many of them still students ineligible to vote.
For Jim Galloway, a veteran political columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this year’s election has been nothing short of eventful, and he acknowledges the political and social implications of the flip.
“I think the state is currently purple. Democrats—Stacey Abrams—and all of their allies are doing the exact thing that they need to be doing to put the Democrats in a kind of semi-permanent ruling party,” Galloway said.
Galloway’s observations are echoed around the country - that the results of the election were not possible without the efforts of young activists and future voters at the local level, including many of whom are Northview students. Principal Brian Downey, after conversations with numerous other principals as well as the Fulton County Board, notes the unavoidable impact of recent national events on students.
A recent presentation of how to manage potential protest behavior was presented to local school principals.
Graphics Courtesy of Fulton County Schools
“I've learned about that impact that even though we're in that remote setting, you guys are not immune to these national events. There is indeed a weighty impact on our students,” Downey said.
However, he supports the practice of free speech and expression of students’ beliefs granted that they do not cross the line in doing so.
“Of course I would encourage [student activism]. Our mission in education is to empower you, to have a voice and use your voice. You are taking your experience and your education, and you're applying it to outside of the school setting,” Downey said.
Recent politics galvanized students and activists alike, and many Northview students utilized their winter breaks to mobilize voters in the Johns Creek community.
“This runoff really got me into politics a lot,” junior Sunny Park said. “It really put into perspective how someone like me, who’s not eligible to vote, can turn out voters and get policies that we need.”
Students who volunteered with the senatorial campaigns also found new opportunities to bond with their peers over common interests. Park, a member of the High School Democrats of America organization, got to interact with new people while creating a tangible impact on the community.
“It was really cool to see such diverse people,” Park said. “I worked with a lot of people who I probably wouldn’t have ever worked with before.”
Members of the HSDA at Northview were heavily involved in student activism prior to the runoffs.
Photo by Grace Peng, Managing Online & Social Media Editor
While this year was a thrust into politics for many, it is also saw a resurgence in interest from the point of view of many veterans. Senior Ishita Vaish has long had a foot in the political world, familiarizing herself early on with its intricacies.
“I was an intern for the district representative here from 10th grade onwards,” Vaish said. “That was basically how I decided that I want to get back into the political realm and start being a little bit more active.”
However, it was not only the fact that Georgia became the center of the political world back in November and December that drew Vaish back into politics. Vaish reignited interest in several key issues that were debated more heatedly this year, as she realized that many issues apply to her personally.
“One thing that really hit me during this election was just that there is no reason why I couldn’t be the next targeted group.”
“Here are groups of people - whether it's indigenous peoples, people of color or black people - who have been experiencing the suppression for all of their lives continuously. It's not a phase for a year or two when you're being subjugated or treated poorly.” Vaish said. “One thing that really hit me during this election was just that there is no reason why I couldn't be the next targeted group.”
Although Vaish is not eligible to vote yet, she participated in the runoff by phone-banking for the Democratic party. She began by joining the Ballot Rescue Team (BRT) and calling voters around the state. In addition to offering voter protection services, the calls ensured that each recipient knew where their voting location was and encouraged constituents to get out and vote. Vaish totaled about 500-600 calls by the time the runoff campaigns had ended.
“We were calling people and asking like, ‘Hey, your vote has been rejected. Here are the instructions to help you. Do you have a moment? Let's walk through it and fix your ballot.’” Vaish said.
All of these efforts were worth it in the end. Students’ hopes of a blue Georgia came to fruition on Jan. 5, when several reputable news outlets projected Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock as the winners of the runoffs.
“Seeing how far my time and efforts went into winning the election was really exciting,” Park said. “The results really showed how much all these efforts can go over to Georgia, which is an especially red state I never thought would turn blue.”
The experience was extremely rewarding for Vaish as well, whose political plans include creating a gridlock-fighting project aimed at youth to promote bipartisanship within the community. She also plans to continue phone-banking, especially for the upcoming Johns Creek mayoral election, and remains optimistic about future federal elections to preserve the Democratic trifecta.
“I think that there's definitely a lot of potential for future states in the south to also flip. And more importantly, I want to keep up the momentum and take advantage of the fact that a lot of people are getting engaged in politics,” Vaish said.
