Polls show runoffs possible in Georgia’s top races

Editor’s Note: The GOP must gain six Senate seats to gain full control of Congress this fall, and with so many surprisingly tight races and the potential for upsets in Republican strongholds, victory is not a sure bet. Add to this special electoral laws in Louisiana and Georgia, where candidates must receive more than 50 percent of the vote to win and avoid a runoff election, and America could wake up on Nov. 5 unsure of which party controls the Senate. Michelle Wirth of WABE in Atlanta reports on the outlook from Georgia.

If Gov. Nathan Deal or state Sen. Jason Carter can’t get more than half the votes, Georgians will head to the polls again in early December. A Senate runoff wouldn’t occur until Jan. 6. That means voters wouldn’t get to decide the Michelle Nunn and David Perdue contest until after the new Congress has been sworn in. It also means campaign ads during Christmas and Hanukkah.

So which party would have an advantage in those runoffs? University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bulloch said historically it’s been Republicans.

“The best predictor of the future is the past, so based on that I would expect to see the same thing,” he said.

But InsiderAdvantage publisher and CEO Matt Towery said that’s not necessarily the case if there’s a December runoff for governor.

“Generally, the higher the socioeconomic group the earlier they get engaged in Christmas activities, and it’s harder to get them engaged in politics,” he said, “and that happens to be the same group that votes Republican.”

But if the Senate contest goes to a runoff in January, Towery thinks Republican turnout will likely be higher.

And there could be a lot of national attention if control of the Senate hinges on Georgia.

“If the senate still hangs in the balance, you will have millions and millions of dollars on both sides pumped into Georgia,” said Merle Black, a political science professor at Emory University.

The runoffs would also cost counties money. WABE contacted the Georgia Secretary of State’s office about the potential price tag of the runoffs but did not receive a response by deadline. Fulton County Elections director, Richard Barron estimates if there are three weeks of early voting, two runoffs could cost the county $1.3 million.