Summary:
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In Georgia’s Senate runoff election on Saturday, early voting will be permitted after an appeals court dismissed a claim that state law prohibited it.
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In a quick decision on Monday, the Georgia Court of Appeals denied the state’s plea to overturn a decision reached on Friday by a judge in Fulton County that allowed for voting on Saturday.
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The Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock will face Republican rival Herschel Walker in a runoff election on December 6, and Georgia law mandates five days of early voting from November 28 through December 2.
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According to Mike Hassinger, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, “the court has carried out its mandate.” “
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The runoff between Mr. Warnock and Mr. Walker will determine whether Democrats gain a seat, giving them 51 to the Republicans’ 49, or whether the chamber remains divided 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking ties.
An appeals court threw out a claim that state law said early voting wasn’t allowed in Georgia’s Senate runoff election on Saturday. This means that people can vote early.
In a quick decision on Monday, the Georgia Court of Appeals denied the state’s plea to overturn a decision reached on Friday by a judge in Fulton County that allowed for voting on Saturday. Individual counties decide whether to allow early voting on that particular day.
The Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock will face Republican rival Herschel Walker in a runoff election on December 6, and Georgia law mandates five days of early voting from November 28 through December 2. Counties can offer up to three more days of early voting, but they don’t have to. Some, like Fulton County, which surrounds Atlanta and is a stronghold for Democrats, planned to offer those days on Saturday, November 26.
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, said that early voting is not allowed on the second Saturday before an election if the Thursday or Friday before it is a state holiday. Thanksgiving is on Thursday, while Robert E. Lee Day, a Georgia holiday, was initially observed on Friday.
Mr. Warnock, the Democratic Party of Georgia, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee all sued, saying that the ban didn’t apply to runoff elections. The judiciaries agreed.
The plaintiffs said in a joint statement from Quentin Fulks, the campaign manager for Mr. Warnock, Christie Roberts, the executive director of the D.S.C.C., and Rebecca DeHart, the executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, that “this ruling is a victory for every Georgia voter, and we look forward to counties across the state providing voters with the opportunity to cast their ballots on Saturday, Nov. 26.”
According to Mr. Raffensperger’s office, he would agree to the appeals court’s decision.
Mike Hassinger, the spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, said, “The court has carried out its mandate.” “We think the General Assembly should consider clarifying this to prevent confusion. Despite this choice, I hope election workers can have a relaxing holiday.
The runoff schedule, which Georgia’s 2021 voting law mandates if no candidate wins a majority of the vote in the general election, was shortened. Because of this shortening, the early voting period now falls during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The runoff between Mr. Warnock and Mr. Walker will determine whether Democrats gain a seat, giving them 51 to the Republicans’ 49, or whether the chamber remains divided 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking ties. Democrats have already maintained their slim majority in the Senate.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
