Georgia focus of deciding Senate races ahead of Tuesday election

ALBANY — A long year for voters and elections officials, who cast and counted ballots during a difficult time, in special elections, primaries that were delayed due to the coronavirus and the Nov. 3 general election, will extend into 2021.

Polling locations will be open statewide from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday for the three runoff races on the ballot.

The eyes of the nation are on the state as the two U.S. Senate runoffs will decide the balance of power in that body as voters cast their ballots. Incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, both Republicans, face Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively.

A win by both Democrats would result in a 50-50 partisan balance in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris being the swing vote, once sworn into office, to take control of the chamber. A win by either of the Republicans would allow the party to remain in charge.

Polls show both Senate races to be extremely close, which has added to the attention and resources being poured into the contests.

In a third statewide contest, incumbent Republican Public Service Commission member Lauren McDonald Jr. will face Democrat Daniel Blackman.

With so much riding on the Senate election, national groups from both ends of the political spectrum have been involved in the race. This week, Albany was the site of two challenges to the eligibility of voters to participate in the election.

On Monday, the Albany-Dougherty County Board of Registrations heard a case involving nearly 3,000 voters, and on Thursday, board members heard a much smaller challenge involving seven potential voters who registered in the county after the general election.

The board denied both challenges.

Albany City Commissioner B.J. Fletcher, who helped mount the larger challenge, said there are names on the list of deceased people and voters who have moved out of the state.

Fletcher is working with True the Vote, the Houston, Texas-based organization that has mounted challenges in several Georgia counties, including Ben Hill and Muscogee counties, and also is involved in a challenge in a federal court. The group also is monitoring ballot drop boxes to document any cases of individuals dumping large numbers of ballots, Fletcher said.

Dougherty County has drop boxes located at the downtown Government Center at 222 Pine Ave. and at the Tallulah Massey, Southside and Northwest public library locations. Those drop boxes will be accessible through 7 p.m. Tuesday and will be removed at that time.

All 28 Dougherty County voting precincts also will be open for Election Day on Tuesday.

The registration board also moved early voting, which closed last week, to the Albany Civic Center for the election to give voters more room to spread out to practice social distancing during the pandemic and to help them avoid waiting outside in line. Voters are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks in polling places.

Voters, many of whom would rather avoid the risk of in-person voting through early voting or on election day, also have taken advantage of absentee mail-in ballots, and many have been mailed to voters. Fletcher said there were “red flags” on the 2,700 voters identified and that 975 had moved out of state.

True the Vote will continue to monitor the election through Tuesday, she said.

“They’re here,” she said. “We’ve got other groups coming in today.”

File Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]