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2020 South Cobb High School graduate becomes respected politico

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Published  September 21, 2020 11:44pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

2020 Georgia graduate becomes respected politico

Niles Francis has become a reputable source for elections forecasting and he is just 18 years old.

ATLANTA - At what point would you say you really started to understand politics?

In college? Later in life? Perhaps you learn something new every day.

National publications respect a recent South Cobb high school graduate for his vast knowledge of American politics, and he’s just now old enough to cast his first vote.

Niles Francis is a November baby, so one could argue his interest in elections was destined.

At just 18 years old, his passion for politics far outweighs many of his peers.

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"In Georgia," Francis told FOX 5's Alex Whittler, "we're the only state in the country with two Senate races this cycle, and both parties are taking those races very seriously because they could very well determine who controls the Senate."

Niles Francis, a 2020 graduate of South Cobb High School has become quite the politico.

With 17,000 Twitter followers -- and counting -- the Georgia State freshman is a reputable source for elections forecasting.

He makes the maps himself.

"For Georgia, I use the Secretary of State's website. They put all the precinct information on the website," he said. "Sometimes I go to individual counties to get information."

Francis continues to rack up bylines on DecisionDeskHQ.com.

His countless articles range from races across the country to local metro headlines to honoring late political giants such as John Lewis.

Just last week, he spoke of the importance of engaging young voters on one national news network.

Much of his expertise, he says, is self-taught.

The 18-year-old says the 2016 presidential election kickstarted his passion project.

Francis says this year he’s busy with virtual classes, tracking the latest on a vacant SCOTUS seat, two Senate races in Georgia, and who will call the White House home for the next four years.

"It'll be a busy next few weeks and I look forward to sharing the things I find with all sorts of people," he said.

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