Presidential Election 2024: Why Your Vote Could Be the Deciding One!
If you are an Indian American residing in Georgia, you are uniquely placed to play a crucial role in the upcoming presidential race.
12,000 votes—a mere 0.25 percent of the five million votes cast in Georgia in 2020. That’s the razor-thin margin by which Democrats won the state, famously paving the way to the White House for Joe Biden.
While that broke the 28-year streak of Republican hold in presidential elections in Georgia, it was in no way a convincing shift from red to blue. As of now, less than 45 days from the election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are tied at exactly 48 percent, according to a report by The Hill, confirming Georgia as a battleground state.
With so much riding on the state’s mandate, the Indian American voting bloc has become particularly crucial due to several unique factors: a rapidly growing eligible voting base, increasing number of young and first-time voters, shifting partisan loyalties, greater income and education levels, higher voter turnout, and a larger number of political candidates relative to its percentage of the American population.
Eligible voters on the rise among Indian Americans
From less than two million in 2000, the Indian American population is approaching five million in 2024—an increase of more than 150 percent. Indian Americans are also one of the fastest-growing eligible voter populations, expanding by over 100 percent between 2000 and 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. In Georgia alone, the Asian American population saw an increase of nearly 140 percent over the same period, with Indian Americans comprising a substantial portion of this growth. “The 2024 elections present an important opportunity for Indian and South Asian Americans to have our voice in our democracy,” says Chintan Patel, executive director of the Indian American Impact.
AAPI Vote data shows that the number of Indian American voters in Georgia now stands at 177,000—a 20 percent increase over the past five years. This puts them well above the required margin of victory in a closely contested state like Georgia.
Increase in young and first-time voter engagement
We are witnessing a massive nationwide uptick in new voter registrations among young and first-time voters since Harris came on top of the ticket to become the Democratic nominee. Georgia has seen 43,000 new voter registrations, with many more expected in the weeks leading up to the election. In the state, this trend takes on a larger significance as 20 percent of the votes in 2020 came from voters under 30—three percentage points higher than the national average.
These broad, nationwide trends are more pronounced in the Indian American community which is a relatively young demographic with a growing number of first-time voters. “The youth engagement is huge right now. With changes in the race, they are very energized about this election. We are seeing a tremendous increase in voter registration from the youth,” says Sonjui Kumar, Board Chair of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Atlanta.
Shifting partisan loyalties
According to the Pew Research Center, 68 percent of Indian Americans identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. Historically too, Indian Americans have leaned towards the Democratic Party due to its positions on immigration, healthcare, education, gun safety, and civil rights. “Within the AAPI community, more Indian American voters lean Democratic than Chinese or Korean populations,” says Kumar.
In recent years, however, there have been signs of shifting partisan loyalties among Indian Americans. “Asian Americans are rapidly diversifying the American electorate, and it is critical for us to update our understanding of what motivates them and informs their voting choices,” says Professor Karthick Ramakrishnan, co-founder of AAPI Data. “We see ongoing evidence of dynamism within the Asian American electorate, including on matters pertaining to presidential vote choice and party preferences on key issues ranging from inflation to health care and immigration.”
Data shows that in recent years, more Indian Americans, especially small business owners and high-income earners, have gravitated toward the Republican Party driven by concerns over taxation, business regulation, immigration, and foreign policy. Kumar notes, “I often hear Indian American community members say that they are fiscally conservative and socially liberal. That puts them in the category of independents or leaning Republican.” As an immigrant group that has braved immigration backlog for legal citizenship, Indian American voters who lean Republican also align with the GOP’s hardline on illegal immigration—for them, it undermines their own long and rigorous path to citizenship.
Source: AAPI Vote data
This trend favoring Republican candidates could play a decisive role in this election cycle. Although the number of voters leaning Republican has remained the same, a notable 25 percent of Indian Americans were undecided as per the nationwide 2024 Asian American Voter Survey in July this year. While the Democratic numbers had shrunk at the time of the survey, a lot has changed with Harris replacing Biden on the presidential ticket. Uncommitted voters—some of whom view Gaza as a critical issue—will undoubtedly play a pivotal role come November.
The GOP has made concerted efforts to appeal to Indian Americans, with Trump emphasizing closer ties with India and Narendra Modi in recent years. With Harris deemphasizing her personal identity in a bid to be ‘president for all people,’ many Indian Americans feel that Harris has not actively engaged with the community. At the same time, women in the community find representation in her—which highlights a significant gender gap that is also evident nationwide.
In this past week, The American Hindu Coalition, Georgia Chapter, has endorsed Trump. A joint statement from South Asian advocacy groups, including They See Blue and Desis4Democracy, has quickly followed voicing disapproval of the AHC’s move. “We stand for inclusivity, equity, equality, and diversity. The American Hindu Coalition Georgia Chapter does not represent Hindu or South Asian values at large.”
Outsized influence because of affluence and higher education
According to a 2021 report by the Pew Research Center, Indian Americans have the highest median household income of any ethnic group at around $120,000 annually—far above the national average of $70,000. About 75 percent of Indian Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to the national average of 33 percent.
These advanced levels of education and wealth within the community have fostered strong political awareness and engagement through activism and donation. In 2020, Indian Americans donated approximately $10 million to presidential candidates, with the majority going to Democratic campaigns. In this election cycle, Indian American women are actively fundraising and making personal donations to the Harris campaign.
Growing political representation
Foundational political engagement has paved the way for increased Indian American representation in U.S. politics. According to AAPI Vote, Indian Americans constitute only 0.5 percent of the adult citizen population in the U.S. and yet, they hold about 4.5 percent of senior government positions.
Notable figures are Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, and, of course, Kamala Harris. The rise of Indian American candidates at the state and local levels has also been notable. In Georgia, 24-year-old Ashwin Ramaswamy, running for Senate from District 48 on the Democratic ticket, and Narendra Reddy, running for State Representative in Georgia State House (Assembly) on the Republican ticket, are among the Indian Americans making their mark. A report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that over 300 Indian American candidates ran for office in 2020 alone.
Higher voter turnout
Indian Americans consistently demonstrate higher-than-average voter turnout, amplifying their political influence. According to a 2020 survey conducted by AAPI Data, 71 percent of Indian American voters participated in the 2020 presidential election, compared to an overall national turnout of around 66 percent. This higher turnout has been consistent over recent election cycles, underscoring the community's growing political engagement. “I would expect that turnout to be even greater with Harris on the ballot,” says Kumar. “We are seeing how representation is making a difference in voter engagement.” Ahead of this election, data from the 2024 Asian American Voter Survey shows that as many as 91 percent of Indian American voters plan to cast their ballot.
Voter advocacy
The rising influence of Indian American voters can be attributed to the grassroots mobilization effort for voter advocacy, led in part by organizations like the Indian American Impact Fund, South Asians for America, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. These groups focus on voter registration drives, community outreach, voter education, and improving accessibility—whether through advocating for easier access to absentee voting (which is widely used by the AAPI community) or working to improve language access during voting (an issue that affects 27 percent of Indian American voters, according to the Pew Research Center.)
“I think the main factor that will impact Indian American voters is the availability of absentee voting and early voting—it has been severely reduced. Also, the drop boxes are now only available during election hours. So, a lot of benefits of absentee ballot have been restricted,” says Kumar. These changes are expected to affect Democratic voters more significantly as absentee ballots are largely used by them. This time, though, Republican candidates are also encouraging absentee voting. “No matter where you live, the election board can delay certification if it thinks a reasonable inquiry is necessary at the county level,” cautions Kumar as changes to the electoral laws in the state continue to be changed at the time of writing this.
An opportunity to shape the American Dream
Indian American voters, 66 percent of whom are immigrants according to Pew Research, have a long legacy of hard work and resilience that has brought them to this country. For many, the right to vote is an integral part of the American dream, an opportunity to help shape the future of their adopted homeland. In a crucial swing state like Georgia, this opportunity to make an impact is particularly significant. “The stakes are high and voter participation—particularly women and youth—can determine the outcome in many cases.” In October-November, the annual trip to India during Diwali is on the cards for many Indian Americans. “If you plan to travel, get your absentee ballot in place before leaving,” Kumar urges.
Pooja Garg is Deputy Editor for Khabar magazine. An award-winning journalist and USC Annenberg Fellow for Writing and Community Storytelling, Pooja has worked as Principal Correspondent with India Today and Delhi Bureau Chief for CIO magazine. Founder of the South Asian Collective and The Woman Inc., she is the editor of From My Window anthology. Write to her at pooja@khabar.com.
This article was produced as part of the 2024 Elections Reporting Mentorship Program, organized by the Center for Community Media at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY).
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