For many years, Betty Cartledge did not put a lot thought into the truth that she had by no means participated in an election. However this yr, on the eve of her 82nd birthday, one thing modified.
At some point after early voting started in Georgia, native tv station Channel 2 Action News caught Cartledge on her means right into a Newton County polling location within the better Atlanta space.
“I’m going to vote for the primary time in my life,” the Covington resident advised the outlet on Wednesday, Oct. 16, noting that she was casting her inaugural poll 4 days earlier than turning 82 years outdated.
Cartledge, who was accompanied by her niece, defined that she had by no means tried voting sooner as a result of her longtime husband discouraged it.
“I used to be so younger and every little thing once we acquired married, I by no means actually considered it,” she mentioned. “After which I acquired outdated and I believed that it wouldn’t rely to vote.”
After her husband died final yr, Georgia’s pivotal position within the 2024 election grew to become a nationwide dialog. That is when she determined it was time to make her voice heard.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty; Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg/Getty
Cartledge did not share who she voted for, however she did debrief the expertise to Channel 2 as she returned to her automobile afterward.
“It was neat, it was good,” Cartledge mentioned. “If I’m right here, I’ll be again once more.”
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Because the eighth most populous state within the nation, Georgia has a robust say in deciding U.S. presidents.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have put appreciable deal with successful over Georgia voters to be able to earn their 16 Electoral Faculty votes, and polling doesn’t presently level to a transparent front-runner.
