On Sunday, President Joe Biden abruptly announced what many voters and pundits had increasingly been predicting: He will not run for reelection this November. The metamorphic announcement will make him the first sitting president to drop out of the presidential race since 1968. Biden is the first to exit the race this close to Election Day. President Lyndon B. Johnson did so during the primaries of his election year.

This sudden change of plans for the Democratic presidential ticket was followed up by an endorsement from Biden for his vice president Kamala Harris to run in his place.

There may have been virtually no warning from the president, but when we talked to residents across southwest Atlanta, Union City and College Park for our Voting Barriers and Bridges Project, some might say the writing was on the wall. 

The elections project focuses on communities with chronically low voter participation in an effort to identify the barriers around civic engagement and uplift solutions that can bridge those barriers. Over the last eight weeks, we spoke with more than 200 people through community listening and reached out to hundreds more.

Out of the more than 220 respondents asked about the presidential race, nearly 60 respondents said President Joe Biden running would either deter or motivate them to cast a ballot. Some shared their thoughts on the presidential race, some expressed faith and others expressed concern about whether Biden could withstand the critiques about his health and age as the November race drew closer.

Here’s what we heard:

I’m looking at a fascist, and then I’m looking at someone that could actually move us forward. People keep focusing on Joe Biden and his age. My big concern is that people will focus so much on that we lose the election. He’s older and not the same as he was four years ago, but they are both older.

Gail C., a longtime South Fulton resident in her late 60s, enjoys spending her spare time playing cards with friends at the Welcome All Community Center. Gail, who is black and Jewish, said she felt the pressure on Biden to make decisions for Israel was unfair, and that he deserved to be in the running for president.

I think we have a health problem with one, crazy problem with the other. I think our VP needs to speak up. I can’t see VP winning. Biden is the strongest.

Jackie L. is a retired resident of Union City. He actively follows the news and politics. He told Canopy Atlanta he wants to ensure that Trump did not win the vote, however, he was not particularly thrilled with his options at the time of our conversation. 

I don’t think Biden knows what he’s doing. Trump doesn’t know either, he ran the government like a business. I don’t think he’s racist, I think he knows how to play the game.

Walter B., a South Fulton native, was watching his son practice his baseball swing when we spoke with him at Welcome All Park. He’s an entrepreneur who has ongoing conversations with his peers about the candidates and the issues. He is an undecided voter who is leaning towards Trump.

In 2020, I just didn’t like Trump. He and Biden were still old then. Who needs someone older than 75 being the president?

Alon H. is a transplant from Illinois who doesn’t plan to vote in the presidential election. At the time he was interviewed, he said he didn’t feel inspired by either candidate, leading him to believe his vote won’t matter. 

Biden is too old. Trump is not Orange Jesus. The Black woman (Kamala Harris) needs to be running, she got better numbers than both of them. Trump has to go.

Vanessa, 69, is an employee at a Greenbriar Mall vendor booth.  She told us she was angry about the economic challenges seniors face and vented that “the world has gone crazy!” when asked about the current political climate. She was not sure if she would vote at all, because she doesn’t “like either one of them.” 

I don’t believe in groupthink. The person I’m voting for is articulate, he’s money savvy. He seems like a patriot. He doesn’t stand with the status quo, so I feel like he will prioritize this country. I see (Biden) as senile. I see dementia. I can’t vote for that.

Andre M., 29, is a South Fulton father of twin girls who has historically voted for Democrats. He plans to vote for former president Trump in November.

I really don’t think that President Biden is being honest with our community. He came in making promises that he couldn’t keep.

Blake S. has been voting ever since he was 18-years-old. After more than 25 years of voting, he still plans to vote. At the time of his interview, Samuel shared that he had been dissatisfied with President Biden’s performance. 

I think everyone who has the right to vote should vote. You shouldn’t be complacent. Biden needs more support. He’s way more experienced than Trump. We should grant him one last chance to serve. He’s running against a criminal.

Dora O. is a retired active member of the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center. She is originally from Ghana. She has lived in the U.S. for several years now. She is passionate about voting rights and having everyone make their voice be heard. 

“If you don’t make your vote count, you have no one to blame.”

We know we only tapped into the tip of the iceberg in our initial community listening conversations. And this is why we are going even deeper this summer for you with our Voting Barriers and Bridges elections fellows who will continue these conversations and tell the stories with community voices and perspectives all the way to the election. 

Reach out to us at elections@canopyatlanta.org with your thoughts and questions about the voting process and how we can better report the stories of Atlantans this election season.