ELECTORAL VOTES 16

2012 ELECTION Leaning Republican New! 2012 Georgia Polls >>

ABOUT
GEORGIA

2010 Census Reapportionment: Georgia will gain one electoral vote, giving it 16 for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. This is the 3rd consecutive Census where Georgia has gained at least one electoral vote.



Georgia, one of the original 13 colonies, entered the Union in January 1788. The state has participated in every presidential election except 1864 (due to secession). From 1868 thru 1960, the state was as “blue” as can be – voting Democratic in every election. Like many other southern states, its residents were conservative Democrats that went “red” in 1964 in response to unhappiness over the Civil Rights Act, which was effectively exploited by the Republicans in a tactic called the “southern strategy.” In 1968, Georgia voted for Independent George Wallace in an election that marked the last time a third-party candidate received any electoral votes. Georgia has been reliably Republican since, except when a southern Democrat was on the ticket – Georgians sided with homegrown Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980 and Bill Clinton in 1992. In 2004, George Bush easily defeated John Kerry by 58% to 41%, but the Republican John McCain's margin was just 5 points in 2008. This may indicate that Georgia could be more in play in future elections as the state's demographics continue to shift. Georgia’s population has grown rapidly in recent years. As of the 2012 election, only 7 states will have more electoral votes.