Why the winners in Georgia runoffs might not be known for days

[webfact]

Why the winners in Georgia runoffs might not be known for days

By Jason Lange and Brad Heath

 

FILE PHOTO: Republican U.S Senators David Perdue (top L) and Kelly Loeffler (bottom L) and their Georgia runoff election challengers, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, are seen in a combination of file photos. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - The future of Democrat President-elect Joe Biden's agenda hinges on two Senate runoff races in Georgia whose outcome might not be known for days after polls close on Tuesday.

 

Public opinion polls show Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have about the same level of support as their Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

 

Following are key facts on the vote-counting process and what to expect as election returns start to come in Tuesday night.

 

WHY MIGHT THIS DRAG ON?

Slow counting of Georgia's mail ballots in November's presidential election kept the world in the dark about who won the state until three days after polls closed. Biden ended up winning the state by less than 12,000 votes out of about 5 million cast.

 

A similar delay could unfold after Tuesday's contests if the races are really close, said Walter Jones, a spokesman for the office of Georgia's top election official, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

 

"We may be looking at several days," Jones said, adding that the delay would mostly come from mail ballots returned on Election Day.

 

Election officials cannot start counting ballots until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, though they have started processing them, such as checking that voter signatures on mail ballots match those on record.

 

Nearly 1 million mail-in ballots have been processed through Sunday, state data shows. These ballots, as well as more than 2 million cast in person at early voting centers, will likely be counted quickly on Election Night.

 

But for the mail votes that arrive on Election Day, officials will still need to open envelopes, check signatures and load the ballots in counting machines. They will also need to process hundreds of thousands of votes expected to be cast in person that day.

 

RED MIRAGE?

In November, mail ballots heavily favored Biden in Georgia and other swing states, while President Donald Trump led in votes cast in person. If more Democrats again vote by mail this time, initial results could similarly show Republicans in a lead that gives way to Democrats catching up.

 

The slow counting of mail ballots was a key reason why Trump took an early lead on Election Night on Nov. 3, only to trail Biden in the days that followed as more mail ballots were counted.

 

In the end, about a quarter of Georgia's ballots in November were cast by mail and Biden won about two-thirds of them, state data shows. The rest were cast in person, with about 55% going to Trump.

 

"Initial results will generally reflect the state of the race but probably will be a little redder than what they will end up being," said Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

 

RECOUNTS

Georgia did two recounts of November's presidential contest: a hand recount of paper ballots ordered by the state's top election official, and a subsequent recount using computer scanners that was requested by the Trump campaign.

 

Georgia allows a losing candidate to force a recount if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total vote in the race. A recount must be requested within two days of the results being certified by election officials.

 

Candidates can also request a recount if they think there has been an error in the tabulation; in that case it's up to the secretary of state to decide whether to conduct one. Local election officials also have the power to recount results in their county before the results are certified.

 

(Reporting by Jason Lange and Brad Heath; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Dan Grebler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-05

 

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[herfiehandbag]

If the result is a close victory for the Democrat candidates then of course we can expect every possible allegation, "legal" move and tremendous pressure on the ballot authorities to somehow "correct" the results. 

[robblok]

30 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

If the result is a close victory for the Democrat candidates then of course we can expect every possible allegation, "legal" move and tremendous pressure on the ballot authorities to somehow "correct" the results. 

Its highly likely that they will do whatever they can to follow all the rules be even more meticulous than before just to make sure that their count stands. Making sure it so airtight that legal moves don't stand a chance. I am sure they learned something from the general election. 

[rudi49jr]

29 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

If the result is a close victory for the Democrat candidates then of course we can expect every possible allegation, "legal" move and tremendous pressure on the ballot authorities to somehow "correct" the results. 

Even if there is a clear winner (like Biden beating Trump in the general election), I fully expect the Republicans to go to just about any length to try and overturn the result.

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

I am sure they learned something from the general election.

I too am sure they learned a lot during the general election.

 

As a result of this there will be a massive number of mail in ballots.

 

Apparently it's also very important to make sure nobody views the counting process, especially around the time when the water main break / power cut happens in the final hours of the counting ????????

 

[robblok]

14 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I too am sure they learned a lot during the general election.

 

As a result of this there will be a massive number of mail in ballots.

 

Apparently it's also very important to make sure nobody views the counting process, especially around the time when the water main break / power cut happens in the final hours of the counting ????????

 

Check your facts

https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-fabricated-water-main-break-affect-vote-counting-georgia-trump-says-1558876

[placeholder]

8 minutes ago, robblok said:

Check your facts

https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-fabricated-water-main-break-affect-vote-counting-georgia-trump-says-1558876

WEll, apart from the fact that it was a slow leak from a urinal and not a water main break, and that no observers were asked to leave,  I think UKrules made a damned good point.

[robblok]

5 minutes ago, placeholder said:

WEll, apart from the fact that it was a slow leak from a urinal and not a water main break, and that no observers were asked to leave,  I think UKrules made a damned good point.

The ones doing the counting were republicans. Did you read that too ?

[kingstonkid]

The fact that they can't call a winner like any normal vote but we're able to do it before is why people are going think there's something fishy.

I still do y understand why it is racist to ask people to bring Id with them to vote.  Every other couni does it.

 

[placeholder]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

The ones doing the counting were republicans. Did you read that too ?

I still think that fact that UKrules made 2 observations and only got 2 out of 2 wrong is a damned fine performance. I'm taking my stand and I'm sticking to it!

[newnative]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Its highly likely that they will do whatever they can to follow all the rules be even more meticulous than before just to make sure that their count stands. Making sure it so airtight that legal moves don't stand a chance. I am sure they learned something from the general election. 

    And, all that will, sadly, mean absolutely nothing as the Republicans will cry "fraud" no matter what if they lose--just as they have done with the presidential election--while presenting no evidence whatsoever, just obnoxious noise. 

[J Town]

3 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Even if there is a clear winner (like Biden beating Trump in the general election), I fully expect the Republicans to go to just about any length to try and overturn the result.

It will be difficult this election. Every vote goes through a multiple step process, one of them bipartisan, but I have to admit - I heard this on MSM and for the life of me can't find a search engine that defines the precise details. Let's just all admit, the eyes of the world will be on this election, extra scrutiny will be applied.

[Jonnapat]

How Perdue and Loeffler are remotely close in the polls baffles me given the charges that have been made against them.

[earlinclaifornia]

21 minutes ago, Jonnapat said:

How Perdue and Loeffler are remotely close in the polls baffles me given the charges that have been made against them.

They hope the voters see trump on the ballot which they won't and most will not bother on Election Day.

[TKDfella]

5 hours ago, robblok said:

Its highly likely that they will do whatever they can to follow all the rules be even more meticulous than before just to make sure that their count stands. Making sure it so airtight that legal moves don't stand a chance. I am sure they learned something from the general election. 

I hope you're right. Ha, with all the problems 2020 election has brought to the US I wonder if both sides shouldn't go back to school and learn how to count.????

[placeholder]

30 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

I hope you're right. Ha, with all the problems 2020 election has brought to the US I wonder if both sides shouldn't go back to school and learn how to count.????

Sorry. It's only one side that is having problems with arithmetic. More fake even-handedness.

Edited January 5, 2021 by placeholder

[stevenl]

22 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

I hope you're right. Ha, with all the problems 2020 election has brought to the US I wonder if both sides shouldn't go back to school and learn how to count.????

Why? If one side can't count, the second side has no reason at all to go back to school (except maybe to teach the second side).

[welovesundaysatspace]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

The fact that they can't call a winner like any normal vote but we're able to do it before is why people are going think there's something fishy.

No, people who are not suffering from paranoia caused by living in a video game parallel reality as they’ve spent too much time on conspiracy theory blogs and far right websites don’t think there’s something fishy just because it takes a bit longer. 

[Scott Tracy]

The media will call it, just like they do with the presidential election. They seem to know before anyone else.

 

We set such store by politics, ensuring every valid vote counts. Double and triple check. Observers to ensure things are done correctly, but the parties involved still don't seem to agree on the results. 

Disheartening. 

[rudi49jr]

1 hour ago, TKDfella said:

I hope you're right. Ha, with all the problems 2020 election has brought to the US I wonder if both sides shouldn't go back to school and learn how to count.????

I think it's not both sides, but Trump and his minions that have to back to school and learn how to count. They've been screaming for months - even well before the election - that the whole thing was rigged and that Trump won by a landslide, but they never presented one iota of evidence.

[rudi49jr]

9 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

The media will call it, just like they do with the presidential election. They seem to know before anyone else.

 

We set such store by politics, ensuring every valid vote counts. Double and triple check. Observers to ensure things are done correctly, but the parties involved still don't seem to agree on the results. 

Disheartening. 

Not parties, but party - singular: the Republicans.

[PattayaJames]

If it's anything like the Presidential election we will probably never know.

[Sujo]

3 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

The fact that they can't call a winner like any normal vote but we're able to do it before is why people are going think there's something fishy.

I still do y understand why it is racist to ask people to bring Id with them to vote.  Every other couni does it.

 

You mean trump lost on election nite? Well done. But after 2 months why hasnt he said so.

[Sujo]

11 minutes ago, PattayaJames said:

If it's anything like the Presidential election we will probably never know.

You dont know who was certified as winning the election? Sad.

[unblocktheplanet]

Gotta love 'Murrican democrazy! Who needs reality TV???

[candide]

4 hours ago, TKDfella said:

I hope you're right. Ha, with all the problems 2020 election has brought to the US I wonder if both sides shouldn't go back to school and learn how to count.????

Why two sides? There's the official count, certified by both democratic and republican counties and states, and only one "side" is making fuss (with no evidence) about it.

[joecoolfrog]

4 hours ago, TKDfella said:

I hope you're right. Ha, with all the problems 2020 election has brought to the US I wonder if both sides shouldn't go back to school and learn how to count.????

There were no real problems with the election , just a bitter , possibly deranged , loser who cant accept reality.

[welovesundaysatspace]

Does anyone know how the two Georgia runoff elects would be seated? Apparently in Pennsylvania right now the ... GOP is denying the elected Democrat senator his seat, over the usual election fraud lies (again debunked by the courts including the Pennsylvania Supreme Court), leaving the seat empty and denying the voters of the 45th district their representation (yes, ironically it’s the 45th district). 
 

I guess the same would happen with the president-elect if the Democrats didn’t have a majority in the House. After all the (more “subtle”) gerrymandering and voter suppression, the GOP now isn’t afraid to be openly fascist; it seems  Trump has made it acceptable. 
 

 

 

[TKDfella]

14 hours ago, placeholder said:

Sorry. It's only one side that is having problems with arithmetic. More fake even-handedness.

Right on cue, placeholder, really predictable.

However, watching Sandra Smith interview GA. Sec. of State on Fox News, Youtube was interesting (the first part being about the GA election; second part is not relevant here)

[placeholder]

31 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

Right on cue, placeholder, really predictable.

However, watching Sandra Smith interview GA. Sec. of State on Fox News, Youtube was interesting (the first part being about the GA election; second part is not relevant here)

 

 As long as you keep on touting the same kind of tripe, you will get the same kind of response from me.