The day of this Tuesday to vote in the second round of the election to the Senate for Georgia, which is disputed between the Democratic senator Raphael Warnock and the Republican candidate Herschel Walker, has passed calmly and without long lines at the polls.
Unlike the large turnout seen in the previous days to vote early, when there were lines at some polling places that stretched around the block, this election day election officials have reported less wait time in the boxes.
In Atlanta, which is in Fulton County, only one polling place was reported where the wait exceeded half an hour, around 1 p.m. ET, according to the official website.
Overall, the wait time around the state was less than five minutes.
Poll workers at a polling place for the runoff election for the Georgia Senate on December 6, 2022. Alex Wong / Getty Images
"Someone forgot to connect a scanner"
A spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State, Grad Raffensperger, a Republican, reported that the day had passed without major incidents, in an election that has been closely watched by both citizens and authorities.
The Justice Department sent four lawyers to monitor possible violations of election laws.
"Someone forgot to connect a scanner or forgot to program it," spokesman Mike Hassinger said, referring to one of the few incidents that have been reported so far.
The outcome of the vote will determine whether Democrats win an absolute 51-49 majority in the Senate or control a 50-50 chamber that will need a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Kamala Harris.
In the November 8 midterms, Warnock had 37,000 more votes than Walker out of the nearly four million cast, but fell just short of a majority, forcing a runoff.
Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker at a campaign event on December 6, 2022. Alex Wong / Getty Images
So far, about 1.9 million votes have already been cast in advance, which translates into an advantage for the Democrats.
That is why Republicans are relying on a large turnout at the polls this Tuesday to clinch a victory.
State authorities estimated that up to 1.3 million could vote this election day.
Despite early voting records in the state, Warnock warned that he will seek to reform the electoral process to remove obstacles voters still face in going to the polls.
"Get in line and please stay in line," Warnock asked at a press conference on Tuesday.
“It's too important, so people need to get out.
"In life you have to show up and the best thing we can do for our democracy is make sure our voices are heard and our votes are cast."
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock during a campaign event in Norcross on Dec. 6, 2022.Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A scandal-plagued Republican campaign
In the November election, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp defeated Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams.
But Walker polled about 200,000 fewer votes than he did, indicating that some voters who supported the Republican gubernatorial nominee did not do the same for the Senate candidate.
Walker's campaign has been plagued by scandal because he allegedly paid for abortions for two of his ex-girlfriends, while he is presenting himself to the electorate as an anti-abortion candidate.
Walker has denied it.
But another thing that could work against him is the support of former President Donald Trump, who campaigned for him in November and has now refrained from visiting the state for this runoff, an indicator that the former Trump star's campaign football fears that their support could do more harm than good.
For Republican voter Tom Callaway, who spoke to The Associated Press news agency, Walker doesn't have what it takes to be a good senator.
“I don't think he said anything that he really believed in or that his campaign made any sense,” Callaway said.
Vote advocates in Atlanta, Ga. Steve Schaefer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
Warnock's campaign has spent some $170 million, far exceeding Walker's nearly $60 million, according to the latest federal filings.
But the Democratic and Republican party committees, along with other political action committees, have spent even more.
Walker, who used his fame as an athlete to win the Republican Party nomination, has tried to portray Warnock as a man who does not dispute the policies of President Joe Biden.
At times, she has attacked him in especially personal terms, accusing him of having "bent his back" and "being on my knees, begging" in the White House, a scathing attack by a black candidate against a black senator for his relationship with a president. white.
Polls will close at 7:00 pm ET, and counties will begin reporting their counts shortly thereafter, but results are not expected before 11:00 pm.