COBB COUNTY, Ga. — It's more of a trickle than a torrential turnout in Cobb County for Georgia's presidential primary. Voters like Sammie Crimmins care about the candidates in the 2024 election, but many care about the issues more.
"We basically already know who's on the ballot," Crimmins said. "I think that drives people to turn out less."
Crimmins said reproductive healthcare rights and the situation in Gaza are top of mind for her. She alluded to Alabama's recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed embryos to have the same rights as children under the state's wrongful death law.
"I do remember when Donald Trump was president, and I remember his Supreme Court candidates overturning Roe v. Wade," Crimmins said. "That is still fresh in my mind."
Meantime, in Gwinnett County, Emerson Welch and his wife Linda voted with the economy and immigration as their top concerns.
"Can't buy what we used to because things are too high," Emerson said. "Gas prices and the grocery store, you can feel it everywhere."
Linda said she and her husband vote every year. This year, she said what's happening at the border is impacting her backyard. She noted the recent case involving a nursing student who was killed on the University of Georgia's campus, Laken Riley. The suspect in her killing has raised questions over his immigration status, which have turned into a political flashpoint on border security.
"The border is number one. I feel like it's not safe right now," Linda said. "I do believe we have way too many people who are getaways that we don't know anything about. You’re not a country if you don’t have a border, and we need to take immigrants in. But we need to know who they are and know they want to be an American and cherish our values of freedom.”
Cary Hannon said in this election, the candidates do matter. He cast his primary vote for Nikki Haley, who suspended her presidential campaign after Super Tuesday last week. However, Hannon said his vote came down to the candidate he did not want in office.
"I don’t want Trump," Hannon said. "It's just sad that we have to choose between a 77 and 81-year-old guy. Everybody votes by soundbites and what they see on TV instead of reading and getting educated on things. It really helps broaden that divide. People who are worthy candidates can’t get traction because they’re drowned out by people that produce the best soundbites.”
Whether it's keeping a candidate out of office or voting for issues a certain candidate supports, Navy veteran Keisha Rattigan felt her voice had to be heard during the primary.
“The cost of living is going up. It keeps going up. But your paycheck is not going up," Rattigan said. "My main issue is medical, with the VA (Veterans Affairs). Being a disabled veteran, we need better treatment of us veterans."
When turnout is expected to pick up in November, Rattigan said her vote would ultimately reflect where the candidates stand on particular issues and what their specific plans were to move the nation forward.
"In the end, whoever it is that wins, I'll support them with me being a military member regardless with them as commander in chief," Rattigan said.