Panke Miller grew up in a south Georgia household "where politics was a blood sport."

When she moved to Atlanta as a young woman, she was swept up in the grassroots politics of the 1970s, even serving for a time on the Atlanta City Council.

Louie Favorite / lfavorite@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Marcia Borowski, 68, canvasses her Decatur neighborhood for Barack Obama.

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But the demands of a growing family and a busy job trumped the thrill of campaigns and governing, turning Miller's energies back to more personal responsibilities.

With children grown now, retiree Miller has rediscovered her joy in the partisan fray, joining throngs of her over-55 cohorts in the ranks of citizen activists who turn the gears of metro Atlanta politics.

"I've liked my getting involved in politics again," Miller said. "It's really added to my quality of life."

Gray cogs turn the gears of metro Atlanta politics.

During the 2004 presidential election, more than 75 percent of the potential voters over age 55 were registered and more than 60 percent of them cast ballots, proportions greater than in any other age group.

As much as 25 percent of Georgia's registered voters are over age 55, more than a million in all. And, like their counterparts nationwide, more of them went to the polls.

"Older voters turn out in greater numbers," said Will Phillips, associate state director for advocacy at the Georgia Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons.

They also canvas neighborhoods, chair committees, register voters and work the polls on election day.

Margaret Holliman of Sandy Springs took up Republican politics in 1964, when her children came of age, and never looked back.

"I've been with them through thick and thin, I guess you could say, ever since," said Holliman, 78.

Currently a member of the state Republican Party Committee, Holliman is a regular at events to rally voters for presumptive presidential nominee John McCain as well as stumping for the party's statewide candidates.

Despite the focus young supporters of the presumptive Democratic nominee have drawn during campaign coverage, older voters such as Marcia Borowski, 68, are doing much of the grassroots work the party is counting on to deliver votes in November.

Borowski has canvassed her Medlock neighborhood and provided office support for the party in the effort to rally voters for Obama and other Democratic candidates. But she thinks this election will transcend generational issues and focus on matters, such as the war in Iraq and the economy, of concern to all ages.

"People are united around ideas and I don't think age is making a difference in the election at all," Borowski said.

Volunteer coordinator Martin Matheny said the Democratic Party of Georgia depends heavily on its older volunteers, who can be generous with their time and have deep ties to the region.

"It's a constituency that's engaged in their government. They are involved in their communities," Matheny said.

Billie Dendy, events coordinator for the Cobb County Republican Party said older voters are more likely to research issues and candidates before casting their votes. They also come to the political process with a much better understanding of what is possible, Dendy said.

"I think we're more informed," Dendy said. "And I think we look at [politics] in a more realistic way."

Fulton County Republican Party Treasurer Charlie Wingo, 70, agrees.

Older voters "bring the perspective of life experience. People of my age, we've seen a lot," Wingo said.

As a party officer, Wingo sees a broad age spectrum among the volunteers who come to offer their services, but said older voters comprise a big chunk of the party's grassroots effort.

"A very significant portion of the people who come over to our office and volunteer are people who are no longer so fully engaged in working and raising families," Wingo said.

Matheny and Republican spokesman Doug Reineke both said the parties are not reaching out to voters over age 55 as a group, though they acknowledged the importance of older voters to their campaign efforts.

But AARP's Phillips said his organization has launched a strategic campaign to prompt its members to mobilize on matters of particular interest such as healthcare, Social Security and the economy.

"What AARP is working to do is raise the awareness of people about issues that matter and encourage them to take these issues to the candidates," Phillips said.

A recent AARP survey showed that almost half the organization's members had contacted their congress members in the past year about a particular issue.

And many of those older voters have more than their own well-being in mind when they do, he added. They are trying to leave a better nation for their grandchildren.

"It's not just voting for their self-interest," Phillips said. "They are also voting on issues that affect future generations."