After both candidates failed to reach the 50 percent threshold required to avoid a runoff, Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) and Candidate Herschel Walker (R) will be running against each other in this final Senate election on December 6th.
On Wednesday, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with Georgia Democrats, ruling in favor of allowing early voting for the U.S. Senate runoff election to happen this upcoming Saturday. Conversely, the state supreme court, denied the Georgia Republican Party’s request, to prohibit early voting on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Brad Raffensperger (R), Georgia Secretary of State, unsuccessfully argued, that the state’s voting law prohibited in-person early voting from happening on a Saturday, if it followed after a holiday.
Campaign attorneys for Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA), along with the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee, filed a lawsuit, after Raffensperger signaled he would not allow early voting to occur on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Then, on Friday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr. ruled against Georgia Republicans and allowed early voting to take place this Saturday.
Cox wrote in his ruling-
“The Court finds that the absence of the Saturday vote will irreparably harm the Plaintiffs, their members, and constituents, and their preferred runoff candidate,”
-Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr., Fulton County Superior Court.
Raffensperger said, in a statement after Cox’s decision-
“Senator Warnock and his Democratic Party allies are seeking to change Georgia law right before an election based on their political preferences,”. “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.”
-Brad Raffensperger (R), Georgia Secretary of State
Then, appealing Cox’s decision, the Georgia Republican Party, arguing it would allow “illegal advance voting.” However, an appeals court rejected their arguments earlier this week, which prompted an appeal to the state’s highest court. In a brief unanimous ruling, Georgia’s Supreme Court, declined to hear the case, leaving Judge Cox’s decision to stand. In their court order, it read-
“Upon consideration, the Emergency Petition for Writ of Certiorari and Motion to Stay are denied,”. “All the Justices concur.”
- Georgia’s Supreme Court
This election will determine whether Democrats have an outright majority, or a 50–50 split, requiring Vice President Harris to break any ties. It has been a tight race, and the situation continues to build, as the focus on the diverse backgrounds/platforms of Warnock (a true liberal-leftist Democrat) and Walker (a true conservative, pro-America first, Republican) are front and center before Georgia’s voters. Walker’s down home, common sense approach to getting things done, is sure to be the hallmark of his tenure, if he wins. Truly his kind of character is a rare find, either side of the isle – in today’s political arena.
“Every man of courage is a man of his word.”
-Pierre Corneille