KINGSLAND, Ga. – It’s the final countdown in the Georgia runoff election as Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock hopes to keep his seat as Republican Herschel Walker vies for the spot.
While Warnock got more votes in last month’s general election, neither candidate got more than 50% of the votes, triggering a runoff on Tuesday.
Voters across the Peach State are already turning out in record numbers. On Friday morning, News4JAX saw plenty of voters at an early voting site in Kingsland casting ballots for the second time in a month.
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“I’m ready for things to actually be done, and so that’s why I came out early to cast my vote,” said early voter Daphne Smith.
Early voter Ian Smith said, “It means a lot that everybody is out doing their part one way or the other. We’re all just one person, however you vote, whoever you choose.”
The two Senate candidates are making their rounds after neither got a majority of votes in the midterms last month. Warnock and Walker are touring the state, with a focus on winning over voters they didn’t get in the midterms.
“Thank you so very much for the way you showed up during the general election,” Warnock said.
Walker said, “And I also want to acknowledge you and thank you for being here. Together we’re going to win this thing.”
They have big names behind them. Former Democratic President Barack Obama was in the Peach State stumping for Warnock.
“I am here for the same reason that I was here the last time, to ask you to vote one more time for my friend and your outstanding Sen. Raphael Warnock,” Obama said.
And newly re-elected Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is standing behind Walker.
“Are you going to vote for somebody that’s been with Joe Biden 96% of the time? Or are you going to vote for somebody that’s going to go up there and fight for Georgia?” Kemp said.
Republican Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, however, is getting attention for not choosing either candidate.
“I had two candidates that I couldn’t find anything that made sense to put my vote behind, and so I walked out of that ballot box showing up to vote but not voting for either one of them,” Duncan said.
There has been plenty of political mudslinging and big early voting turnout. According to elections officials, more than a million people have already voted early in person — and many more will vote with mail-in ballots.
“So it shows excitement about the race. It’s a Senate race, and we anticipate that. Then the lines today and the turnout today has been tremendous,” said Georgia Secretary of State’s Office Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling.
Polls across the state of Georgia close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. That’s also the deadline for any mail-in ballots to arrive.