Georgia runoff election: Warnock campaign sues to allow early voting
Warnock campaign, Democrats file lawsuit over Saturday voting
Georgia Democrats have filed suit to challenge the state's early voting laws. They want early voting for the runoff on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but state officials say state law prohibits Saturday voting when it falls near a holiday.
ATLANTA - The Warnock for Georgia campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG) announced a new lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County to allow early voting on the Saturday before the runoff.
"Illegal attempts to block Saturday voting are another desperate attempt by career politicians to squeeze the people out of their own democracy and to silence the voices of Georgians," said Quentin Fulks, Warnock for Georgia Campaign Manager.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a statement in response to the lawsuit, saying in-part that Warnock "should be allowing county election officials to continue preparations."
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (left) and Herschel Walker (right).
"If recent elections prove one thing, it’s that voters expect candidates to focus on winning at the ballot box--not at the courthouse," said Raffensperger. "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."
It's Georgia's law that Saturday early voting will always be prohibited if a holiday falls within two days of it. In this case, that would be Thanksgiving on Nov. 24, and a holiday that used to observe Confederate General Robert E. Lee's birthday, Nov. 25.
Christie Roberts, executive director of the DSCC, claims that's just a political excuse being used to disenfranchise early voters.
"Democrats are committed to fighting back against the Republican campaign of voter suppression and protecting the right of Georgians to early vote on Saturday," said Roberts.
GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATES URGE VOTERS TO GET TO THE POLLS FOR MIDTERM RUNOFF
Warnock and Walker try to keep voters energized ahead of runoff
On Dec. 6, Georgia voters will head back to the polls to cast their ballots in the runoff election before democratic senator Raphael Warnock and republican senate hopeful Herschel Walker. Their goal now is getting voters re-energized for round two.
Tensions remain tight between Warnock and his republican counterpart, Herschel Walker. Right after the runoff was announced, the two hit the campaign trail running again.
On just Sunday, the two pulled out all the stops to keep the momentum going. Walker invited former Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott to speak at his event in Peachtree City.
"You make a difference … if each of you get 10 votes out, we win," Scott told the crowd.
Warnock focused on young voters, holding his event at the Atlanta University center.
"They looked at our victory the last time in the runoff and sought to make it harder," he said, addressing the Saturday ban, "but the people of Georgia pushed through those barriers in the general election, and I’m calling on them to do the same thing again."
GEORGIA RUNOFF ELECTION: SHORTER VOTING WINDOW COULD CUT TURNOUT FOR WALKER-WARNOCK RACE
Despite republican opposition, both sides of this race are feeling the heat of the shorter voting window which has the potential to lead to a lower voter turnout.
All eyes are on the courthouse now to see what will happen before Dec. 6.