( The Center Square) Some Georgia counties will be offering early voting this weekend following confusion over what state law allows.
Georgia voters will return to the polls for a U.S. Senate runoff between Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
According to the state, early voting for the Dec. 6 runoff begins on Monday, Nov. 28.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr. ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by Democrats and Warnock’s campaign that allows counties to offer early voting starting this weekend, contrary to a law that would have otherwise prevented it because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
“If recent elections prove one thing, it’s that voters expect candidates to focus on winning at the ballot box—not at the courthouse,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement last week before the ruling.
“Senator Warnock and his Democratic Party allies are seeking to change Georgia law right before an election based on their political preferences,” Raffensperger added. “Instead of muddying the water and pressuring counties to ignore Georgia law, Senator Warnock should be allowing county election officials to continue preparations for the upcoming runoff.”
According to the Democratic Party of Georgia, Chatham, DeKalb, Fulton, Muscogee and Rockdale counties will offer Saturday voting. According to the ACLU of Georgia, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett will be among the counties offering Sunday voting; Rockdale will also offer Sunday voting, DPG said.
“County elections officials should take every possible measure so voting is convenient for Georgians and no one is left out of the democratic process,” Vasu Abhiraman, ACLU of Georgia senior policy counsel, said in a statement.
The midterm election has yielded 50 Senate seats to Democrats and 49 to Republicans. The tie-breaking vote comes from the West Wing should it end 50–50.
Both candidates have taken public image hits in the campaign. There are reports Walker paid for abortions and that an apartment building owned by Warnock’s church tried to evict tenants behind on their rent by as little as $28.55.
