Georgia's 23,000 17-year-olds are about to turn 18 and gain the power to shape their state's political landscape. As one high school senior put it, "Voting is a more powerful and valuable way to participate in the government than anything else I could do." Michael Giusto's landmark birthday comes with added responsibility – registering to vote before December 7 to cast his ballot for Georgia's senators.

As part of the Civics Center, an organization devoted to youth civic engagement, these Gen Z voters will be eligible to vote in the state's Senate runoffs. With the Gen Z vote trending towards Democrats, this demographic could significantly impact the outcome of the elections. The Senate is closely divided, with 50 Republicans to 48 Democrats right now – a crucial swing that could alter the course of legislation.

The stakes are high, and powerful political action committees are devoting hundreds of millions of dollars and attention to the Georgia Senate runoffs. Grassroots organizations are also getting involved, often using innovative tactics like Twitch live streams, mobile games, and social media to influence teens about to turn 18 to register to vote.

Georgia's demographics are rapidly changing, with counties like Cobb becoming more young, diverse, and educated. This influx of youth is integral to the state's political landscape, making it a growing untapped cohort of would-be voters.

Unsurprisingly, Instagram has become a focal point for get-out-the-vote campaigns, with groups like Friends Vote Together matching phone- and text-banking volunteers to swing counties. Many of these volunteers were not yet 18 during the last election but are now eligible to vote. "There is a misconception that if you're not yet 18, you cannot have an active role and participate in volunteering for campaigns," says Cate Mayer, Friends Vote Together's founder.

While phone-banking efforts focus on youth voters, mobile games are also gaining traction as a way to reach this demographic. The video-streaming site Twitch has blossomed as a platform to reach out to Gen Z voters, with live streams featuring popular influencers and video games. As Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's record-breaking event showed, there's an audience for live streams that are politically tinged, and viewers are open to registering to vote if the chat is sprinkled with reminders from campaigns.

Nse Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project, has successfully leveraged Twitch for political canvassing. Her "Twitch the Vote" events have resulted in getting 9,000 new voters to sign up on National Voter Registration Day in September. Mobile gaming trucks at key polling locations have also become an excellent way to reach underserved voters.

Georgia has historically been a major target for Black voter suppression via practices like arbitrarily applying rules requiring signatures and specific marking on ballots, or creating hostile environments at polling stations. It's essential that organizations continue to innovate and adapt their strategies to effectively engage these voters and ensure every eligible citizen has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

Keywords: mobile marketing