By Trequita Overton, GEEARS Statewide Engagement Manager
It’s election season, which means that everywhere life takes us, we’re getting the message, Go Vote! The entreaty doesn’t stop there. We should also, say the bus ads and texts and YouTube commercials, get out the vote by encouraging our family members, friends, colleagues, and preschool teachers to vote, too.
We at GEEARS take that messaging one step further by reminding our community why we must center early childhood in the values and priorities we take into the voting booth. Georgia’s youngest children don’t yet have a voice of their own but are affected at every turn by early childhood policies like Paid Family Leave, by programs like Babies Can’t Wait and Head Start, and by systems like Medicare, Childcare and Parent Services, and the Department of Early Care and Learning. By shaping children’s health, education, and well-being, these institutions actually impact the future of our entire state, our workforce, our economy, and our society.
That’s why, on September 29th, GEEARS hosted our 2026 Early Childhood Candidate Forum, giving key candidates for statewide office the chance to share their plans for a Georgia in which all young children and their families can thrive.
We’re also rolling out our nonpartisan, soup-to-nuts set of resources, the 2026 Georgia Voter Guide on Early Childhood, which includes both basic-need-to-knows about dates and locations and more targeted information, including statements from more than 100 Georgia candidates about how they’ll make Georgia the best state to raise a child, in addition to the best place to do business.
While an online resource like this is an invaluable tool to help early childhood-focused Georgians get themselves to the polls and inspire others to lift their voices in the voting booth, nothing replaces boots-on-the-ground, peer-to-peer advocacy. That’s where community leaders like GEEARS’ Early Childhood Changemakers excel.
But, as we wrote recently, anyone can be a changemaker, so we asked Denise M. Cambridge, a Changemaker and leader of the Columbus-based civic engagement organization, 706 Citizen, to share how she’s approaching this election season and how you can do the same!
What are you doing to get out the vote in your community?
My work is less about simply saying, “Go vote,” and more about helping people become prepared and informed voters.
Through 706 Citizen, I share voter registration deadlines, early voting and Election Day information, polling information, sample ballot resources, and reminders for voters to regularly check their registration through Georgia’s My Voter Page.
Earlier this year, I also created the 2026 Civic Engagement Handbook for citizens of Columbus-Muscogee County. It grew out of several years of gathering information about local government, elections, candidates, civic participation, and how decisions are made in our community.
The handbook helps citizens identify who currently represents them at the local, state, and federal levels; understand what offices are on the ballot; learn about candidates and the priorities they have publicly identified; and find reliable sources where they can continue their own research.
A lot of my outreach is also very personal. I talk to friends, family members, parents, neighbors, community members, and especially young and first-time voters about voting. I encourage people not only to use the information themselves but to share it with somebody else.
For me, getting out the vote begins long before someone walks into a polling place. It begins with making sure people understand why their participation matters.
What is your voting plan? How are you going to prioritize getting to the polls?
I plan to vote during early voting.
One thing I emphasize in my voter education work is having a voting plan before Election Day. Know when you’re going to vote, where you’re going to vote, what is on your ballot, and who the candidates are before you arrive.
I try to practice what I encourage others to do. Before I cast my ballot, I will review my sample ballot, research the candidates and offices, and make sure I understand the decisions I am being asked to make.
And, of course, part of my voting plan is checking on everybody else: “Have you voted yet?” My family and friends are accustomed to that question from me by now.
What’s at stake for Georgia’s young children that’s inspiring you to vote?
As a parent and education advocate, I think about this question from the perspective of the decisions we are making today for children who may be too young to have any voice in those decisions themselves.
Children cannot vote, but elections help determine who will make decisions that affect the systems surrounding them, their families, and communities. That is one reason I believe family and community engagement is so important. Adults have an opportunity and a responsibility to understand how public policy affects children and families and then participate in the process.
I also remind young people that they don’t have to wait until they reach a certain age to make a difference. Voting is an important tool in civic participation. Creating communities where children can thrive requires us to remain engaged beyond Election Day.
What policy changes are you hoping to see after this election cycle?
I would like to see greater attention paid to policies that strengthen the entire ecosystem surrounding young children and their families.
That includes access to quality early learning and child care, stronger family engagement, support for educators and the early childhood workforce, access to health care, stable and affordable housing, and policies that recognize that children’s educational outcomes are connected to what happens both inside and outside the classroom.
I would also like to see families meaningfully included in policy conversations, not simply informed after decisions have already been made.
One of the lessons I’ve learned through advocacy is that the people closest to an issue often have important insight into possible solutions. Parents and caregivers should be viewed as partners in policymaking.
What resources do you use to learn about what’s on the ballot?
I use the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page to check voter registration information, polling information, and sample ballots. I also conduct my research by looking at candidates and campaigns websites and social media pages for their platforms and priorities.
This also is part of the thought process behind the 2026 Civic Engagement Handbook. I want citizens to have reliable information in everyday language, but I also want to point them back to the original sources so they can research, ask questions, and reach their own conclusions.
For me, an informed voter is an empowered citizen.
This is sponsored content.
The post Carrying Georgia’s Youngest Children into the Voting Booth With Us appeared first on SaportaReport.
