If you enjoy voting then you’re in luck. Georgians are going to have to head back to the polls in a few weeks after not being able to get either candidate for United States Senate over the 50% threshold Tuesday night.
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and political newcomer Herschel Walker, his Republican opponent, are headed to a runoff. The general election runoff will take place Tuesday, December 6.
More than 2.5 million Georgians voted early this midterm election, with 2.2 million having voted in-person throughout the state, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. All of those people and more will get an opportunity to vote early again in a couple of weeks in order to settle the election for the United States Senate seat currently held by Warnock.
Early voting for the general election runoff will begin Monday, November 28, the first Monday after Thanksgiving. There will be one week of early voting prior to Election Day.
Absentee ballots can be requested now, but will not be mailed out until November 18, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Georgia is one of seven states, along with neighbors Alabama and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas where runoffs are required when the 50% threshold is not reached.
Warnock received just over 49% of the vote during the midterm election while Walker received 48.5% and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver garnered 2% (81,175 votes).
Warnock is no stranger to runoff elections after having won a runoff against former Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021.