Georgia’s two U.S. Senate runoff elections too close to call as of midnight on Jan. 6


Voters in Georgia decided runoffs in two U.S. Senate elections on Jan. 5. As of 12 a.m. EST Wednesday, both races were considered too close to call. In the regular election, Sen. David Perdue (R) led Jon Ossoff (D) by fewer than 2,000 votes, with both candidates receiving 50.0% of the vote. In the state’s special election, Raphael Warnock (D) led Kelly Loeffler (R), 50.4%-49.6%.

Ballotpedia will not project a winner for these elections until there is a consensus projection made by a pool of five national news outlets: ABC, CNN, FOX, NBC, and the New York Times. None of the five outlets had called either election as of 12 a.m. EST Wednesday. 

If Democrats win both runoffs, there will be a 50-50 tie between Democratic and Republican caucuses in the Senate, and Kamala Harris (D) would cast tie-breaking votes. If Republicans win one or both runoffs, they would maintain their majority.

The winners will be sworn in once results are certified. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) has until Jan. 22 to certify statewide results. Perdue’s term ended on Jan. 3. The seat he held will be vacant until results are certified. Loeffler was appointed to temporarily serve the term Johnny Isakson (R) won, which ends in January 2023. Loeffler will remain a Senator until the results are certified, and whoever wins the race will complete the term.

In Georgia, a candidate may request a recount within two business days of when results are certified if the margin between the candidates is less than or equal to 0.5%. Additionally, an election official may order a recount if it appears there is a discrepancy or error in the returns.

Additional reading:

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Georgia,_2020_(Loeffler_vs._Warnock_runoff)

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Georgia,_2020_(Perdue_vs._Ossoff_runoff)