Georgia: Blacks poised to pack polls

[CatWoman]

A surge in voter registration has some African-American leaders predicting high black voter turnout on Nov. 2, even though Georgia is not viewed as a swing state in the presidential race.

The Georgia secretary of state's office and local election boards are struggling to keep up with a huge increase in registration paperwork, much of it from African-Americans. From Jan. 1 through Sept. 23, the state registered 332,869 new voters — 34 percent of them African-American, according to data provided by the secretary of state's office. During the last several election cycles, blacks have accounted for only about 25 percent of registered voters in Georgia.

The Rev. Timothy McDonald III, pastor of Atlanta's First Iconium Baptist Church, said blacks are frustrated about the war in Iraq and the sluggish economy, and are still angry over the 2000 election.

"I think this go-round we're going to see one of the largest turnouts of new registrants voting," said McDonald, who has preached voter registration from his pulpit, and is working with organized groups including Concerned Black Clergy.

"You hear it. You feel it. I think the registration numbers reflect that," McDonald said.

Richard Grigsby, director of voting for the Southern Regional Council, a civil rights group based in Atlanta, also expects strong turnout.

"I believe African-Americans have another issue that is overriding: the feeling of being disenfranchised, of the election being stolen in 2000," Grigsby said.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/election/1004georgia/03blackvoters.html