Georgia continues record-breaking voting in Walker, Warnock runoff
Published 10:45 am Wednesday, November 30, 2022
ATLANTA — Georgia voters have continued breaking voting records this election season following the court contested Saturday voting in the U.S. Senate runoff.
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Upon a judge’s ruling in favor of a Democrat-led lawsuit to allow voting Saturday, Nov. 26, more than 25 counties hosted voting that day, according Gabriel Sterling, COO of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Approximately 15 counties held Sunday voting, and more than 157,000 Georgians voted on the two days combined.
As of Tuesday morning — the second day of statewide early voting — 468,000 Georgians had cast their in-person ballot for the Dec. 6 runoff.
“Monday’s total is well above previous records of 233,252 voters processed on the final day of early voting in the 2018 General Election, and 252,715 voting on the highest day of early voting in 2016,” the SOS office said in a news release.
Incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker have launched new ads and strategies headed into the runoff.
In a recent ad, Walker included a March 2020 police body cam clip of Warnock’s ex-wife, who had claimed Warnock ran over her foot though police found no evidence of such. The ad also included an apparent interview from a man claiming that Warnock, a pastor, evicted him over a $119 debt.
The claim stems from residents reportedly being evicted from an apartment building owned by Warnock’s church. “Evict Warnock” has been part of Walker’s recent rhetoric and following the Nov. 8 general election, he launched the “Evict Warnock Bus Tour.”
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“When no one’s watching, you find out who Reverend Warnock really is,” audio on the ad states.
Another recent ad from the Georgia football star features Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who competed against a transgender woman in the NCAA swimming championship. The ad appears to refer to Warnock’s rejection of a Republican-led effort that sought to take away federal funding from schools if they allowed transgender athletes to participate on sports teams that match their gender identity.
“Raphael Warnock is afraid to stand up for female athletes,” Walker said in the ad.
Warnock’s new ads have taken a different approach. They avoid direct insults from Warnock directly, instead allowing (presumed) Georgians to do the talking.
One ad features people watching recordings of Walker speaking at campaign events.
In one of the recorded events, Walker mentions a vampire movie he had recently watched where he learned that “a werewolf can kill a vampire.” Another recorded event included in the ad captures Walker stating that the U.S.’s “good air” floats over to China’s bad air, the the U.S. is left with China’s “bad air” to clean back up.
“There’s no substance, there’s nothing,” on viewer responded in the Warnock ad.
“It makes me wanna laugh and then it makes me think that we’re in trouble,” said another viewer.
A recent video clip posted to Warnock’s page included interviews of people from Walker’s hometown of Wrightsville, Ga.
Those interviewed voiced concern about Walker’s qualifications and his ability to handle the U.S. Senate role.
Early voting in the runoff ends Dec. 2.
Voters are encouraged to check with their county’s election office for voting hours and locations or the My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov/s.