Assessing How Three Activism Groups Influence Governance and Voter Participation in Henry County, Georgia

Current research has shown that the representative democratic process is in jeopardy due to low voter participation. The electoral process relies on voter turnout to elect political leaders to positions at the federal, state, and local government levels. Few scholars have explored the problem of low voter participation using the qualitative method. This phenomenological study examined the influence of community activism groups on voter participation and their role in the overall political health of Henry County, Georgia's democratic process. The study's theoretical framework was Rolfe's conceptualization of conditional choice. Data consisted of 12 semistructured interviews of voters registered in Henry County. Registered voters most likely to be affiliated with three prominent grassroots organizations were interviewed. In addition, data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the state and county board of elections were reviewed in order to provide context to the information provided in the interviews. Data were analyzed using rich, thick, and detailed descriptions, direct interpretation, and development of categories. Emerging themes were verified using member checking to ensure credibility of findings. The findings suggested that the three community activism groups were ineffective in influencing voter behavior and increasing voter participation in Henry County. The results also confirmed other research findings that community activism groups positively affect voter participation by engaging with potential voters face to face to encourage and promote voting behavior in their communities. The implication of this study is that positive social change may occur in communities by providing guidance on how community activism groups can become more effective in promoting practical electoral change thereby increasing voter participation and improving their communities.