Georgia 2022 Senate runoff live updates: Nearly 2 million have already voted - USA TODAY

Georgia voters are erstwhile again near with the last accidental successful however Congress volition look arsenic the federation watches the Senate runoff race betwixt Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. 

Democrats person already secured the precocious chamber's majority with victories successful different states, but that doesn't mean thing is astatine involvement Tuesday.

For starters, Georgia's special predetermination volition find whether the enclosure remains evenly divided astatine 50-50, which proved to beryllium a hard tightrope for President Joe Biden and the Democrats.

If Warnock wins, the 51-seat bulk gives Senate Democrats power of committees and frees them from leaning on Vice President Kamala Harris to formed tie-breaking votes.

Georgia Senate runoff: Football icon Herschel Walker, Sen. Raphael Warnock clash successful runoff election

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But if Walker prevails that keeps the unit connected Democrats to stay united.

It also gives their caucuses mean to conservative-leaning senators much powerfulness successful presumption of adjacent judicial nominations oregon different important administrative confirmations.

Here's the latest:

Why is determination a runoff election? And could tonight's runoff spell to a recount?

On predetermination night, Sen. Raphael Warnock was up astir 1 percent constituent implicit Herschel Walker – not capable to debar a runoff, with the Libertarian drafting 2% of the vote, but capable to debar a recount successful Georgia.

According to Georgia’s recount law, losing candidates person the close to a recount from the caput of authorities if they are within half a percent constituent of the victor aft the results are certified.

There is besides a process if an predetermination head oregon campaigner believes that determination has been an mistake successful the count. If a campaigner requests a recount owed to an error, it volition hap astatine the discretion of the caput of state.

– Abraham Kenmore

Early voting: Appeals tribunal rejects situation to Saturday aboriginal voting successful Georgia's Warnock vs. Walker runoff

Georgia election: DOJ to show Georgia runoff

The Justice Department volition show polls successful 4 Georgia counties Tuesday arsenic voters formed their ballots successful the Senate runoff election, the past remaining contention successful the 2022 midterms.

Justice regularly dispatches monitors arsenic a defender against voting rights violations. And connected Tuesday, monitors from the Civil Rights Division and U.S. attorneys’ offices volition beryllium deployed to Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Macon-Bibb counties.

Complaints involving imaginable violations tin beryllium made connected the department’s website or by telephone astatine 800-253-3931.

– Kevin Johnson

What is simply a runoff election?: Georgians caput to the polls for Warnock v. Walker circular two.

Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan: Herschel Walker 1 of the ‘worst Republican candidate’ successful enactment history  

Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who was elected successful 2018, told CBS quality that helium would not beryllium voting for Walker.  

“I deliberation Herschel Walker volition astir apt spell down arsenic 1 of the worst Republican candidates successful our party's history,” helium told CBS News past week.

“I deliberation I’ve got kids astir apt that could articulate the blimpish level amended than immoderate of the candidates that Donald Trump and his radical supported each crossed the country,” helium added.  

– Rachel Looker

What to cognize astir the Georgia runoff: When is the Georgia runoff election? Voters volition caput to the polls today.

What is simply a runoff election? 

Similar to a governmental tiebreaker, a runoff predetermination is simply a 2nd contention held erstwhile nary campaigner wins the bulk of votes successful a wide election.  

In Georgia, runoffs are held 4 weeks after a general election when the apical 2 candidates did not gain much than 50% of the vote. A candidate has to earn the bulk of votes to triumph in a runoff election.  

Both Georgia Senate candidates Walker and Warnock did not conscionable the 50% ballot threshold connected Nov. 8, with Warnock starring Walker by much than 30,000 votes – earning 49.4% of full votes. Walker earned 48.5% and the remaining 2.1% went to libertarian campaigner Chase Oliver, triggering the runoff.  

Anyone who is registered to ballot tin formed a ballot successful a runoff election. 

– Rachel Looker 

Who is Sen. Raphael Warnock? 

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, 53, was archetypal elected to Congress successful 2020 aft winning a peculiar predetermination runoff to capable a vacant seat. Born successful Savannah, Georgia, the legislator has served arsenic a pastor for implicit 16 years astatine the Ebenezer Baptist Church successful Atlanta, the erstwhile religion of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Warnock has dubbed himself a "pro-choice pastor," according to his campaign website, and has criticized the Supreme Court for overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade determination that legalized abortion. 

The Democratic incumbent has emphasized the request to combat for transgression justness betterment measures portion backing the police. He is an advocator for Medicaid enlargement and capping the outgo of insulin and prescriptions. 

Warnock believes entree to acquisition shouldn't beryllium connected zip codes and has advocated to little the outgo of higher education, fighting for pupil indebtedness forgiveness.  

– Rachel Looker 

Warnock vs. Walker: From toss-up to leans Democratic

Polls proceed to amusement Warnock and Walker locked successful a choky contention that could spell either way, but immoderate governmental forecasters are giving the Democrats an edge.

The Crystal Ball astatine the University of Virginia, a newsletter that analyzes campaigns, moved Georgia from a "toss-up" to "leans Democratic" authorities connected Monday.

It noted that Georgia remains a competitory state, but that "most indicators constituent to a Warnock advantage" including the aboriginal voting information and that Democrats are heavy outspending Republicans.

"If Warnock ends up winning... we tin each hold connected 1 thing: He volition person surely earned a afloat term. Over the span of 2 years, Warnock ran a gauntlet of 4 high-stakes races," J. Miles Coleman, an subordinate exertion of the newsletter, said.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Warnock vs. Walker: Saturday voting and runoff timeframe

Georgia was embroiled successful 1 of the more controversial voting rights battles the Republican-controlled authorities legislature changed the predetermination rules in early 2021.

Among the biggest changes that had an interaction connected the Dec. 6 peculiar election under the measure, known arsenic SB 202, was shortening the runoff predetermination from 9 weeks to 4 weeks, and cutting aboriginal voting from 17 days to five. 

Another fight created by the caller law was over Saturday voting.

Initially, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's bureau suggested Georgia counties had the enactment to supply Saturday voting connected Nov. 26.

But aboriginal the office said determination would be no Saturday voting, citing its mentation of SB 202, which prevents aboriginal in-person voting being held connected any Saturday that comes aft a vacation connected a Thursday oregon Friday.

Democrats, including the Warnock campaign, pounced connected Raffensperger's bureau and rapidly filed suit against the decision. A judge, and eventually an appeals court, ruled against the GOP successful tribunal and allowed voting connected the Saturday aft Thanksgiving.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Obama and Warnock: Obama paints GOP arsenic enactment of 'Looney Tunes' arsenic helium campaigns for Warnock up of Georgia runoff

Road to 2024: Biden recommends South Carolina spell archetypal successful Democratic superior process, replacing Iowa

Georgia election: Nearly 2 cardinal person already voted

Over the past 2 years Georgia voters have had a marathon of contests – the 2020 statesmanlike election, 2 separate 2021 Senate runoff contests and the 2022 midterms.

But if the aboriginal voting numbers are immoderate denotation the Peach State is conscionable arsenic engaged for the Dec. 6 runoff arsenic immoderate different contest.

According to the caput of state's office, much than 1.8 million Georgians have already voted.

Last Friday, the past time for aboriginal voting, more than 350,000 Georgians cast a ballot, shattering the one-day grounds for aboriginal voting. 

"Georgia is simply a nationalist person successful elector entree and security," Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said successful a statement.

"We are having historical levels of turnout and those who privation to ballot are voting- we judge this level of elector information is excellent, and we’ll support moving with counties to promote them to unfastened much aboriginal voting locations successful the future." 

— Phillip M. Bailey

Georgia runoff election: Polls opened astatine 7 a.m.

Polling places successful Georgia's 159 counties opened astatine 7 a.m. for the Dec. 6 runoff, and volition adjacent at 7:00 p.m.

As successful astir state, if a idiosyncratic is line by 7:00 p.m., they are allowed to formed your ballot.

— Phillip M. Bailey