FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — As early voting opens in just a couple of weeks, voters are getting ready to make a crucial decision in a hot-button race.
Presidential candidates continue gearing up their campaign stops in the Peach State to try to win over the battleground state.
11Alive's Sunday politics show, The Georgia Vote, continues to ensure everyday voters remain at the center of the conversation.
Meet Willie Barnett, president of the resident community of A.G. Rhodes Nursing Home
Barnett is 80 years old and has called A.G. Rhodes home for the last three years. The facility has been a staple in the Atlanta community for 120 years, and Barnett spent part of his childhood in the same area.
He turned 18 in 1962, the first year he voted in a presidential election. His vote came before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed. He said that in 1962, there was a lot of fear about voting in the Black community.
“During that time, I was one of the guys in the neighborhood who felt like everybody should vote,” said Barnett. “There were those that wanted to vote, and there were those that were afraid to vote, meaning that a lot of them wouldn’t vote because of fear,” said Barnett.
Barnett said it’s a lot more convenient to vote now than it was in 1962.
He wants his entire family to follow his example and make their voices heard at the ballot box. He believes that if his children and grandchildren see him vote, they will be inspired to do the same.
“I think I have enough influence that if I go, they say, ‘Well, I’ll go if he goes,’” he added.
Issues he cares about
Guns
Barnett said his son was a victim of gun violence. He added he wants to see a change in gun laws in Georgia and across the country.
“I had a son, my third son was killed a couple of years ago. I just have this thing about guns, I just wish we could deal with that,” said Barnett. “[Gun laws] need to be dealt with period, not just in Georgia. I say Georgia, because that is where my son was killed. Its in a lot of places."
His biggest worry headed into the election
He still has some concerns over the changing voting laws in the state, which he feels may make it harder for some people to vote.
What he's optimistic about
Barnett added that he is most optimistic about Kamala Harris winning the presidency.
“I lived to see a Black president, and now I would like to see a female Black president; I think Kamala Harris is qualified, and I hope things work out,” he said.