Republicans Now Encouraging Georgia Voters To Request Absentee Ballots For Senate Runoffs

Topline

Republicans are now actively encouraging Georgia voters to cast ballots by mail for the state’s U.S. Senate runoffs, an about-face from their stance before the November elections, when they falsely claimed mail-in ballots would lead to widespread fraud.

Key Facts

What To Watch For

Republicans are promising tighter security for the Senate runoffs, saying that over 4,000 GOP poll watchers have been recruited for the election, while filing a lawsuit demanding continuous surveillance footage of all ballot drop-off boxes.

Key Background

Incumbent Republican U.S. Senators David Pursue and Kelly Loeffler are both trailing in polls against their Democratic challengers. Democrats will need to win both seats to secure a 50-50 tie with Republicans in the Senate, making Vice President-elect Kamala Harris a tie-breaking vote for Democrats if needed. Democrats are hopeful they can repeat their success in the presidential election, in which Biden become the first Democratic nominee to carry the state since Bill Clinton in 1992.

Tangent

No excuse is required to get an absentee ballot in Georgia. It’s one of 29 states where no excuse is needed. An additional five states hold elections solely by mail.

Further Reading

Trump And The GOP Have Now Lost More Than 50 Post-Election Lawsuits (Forbes)

Georgia Recertifies Biden’s Win After Trump-Ordered Recount Fails Again (Forbes)

Over 4,000 Republican Poll Watchers Reportedly Recruited For Georgia Senate Runoffs (Forbes)