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Democrats have clinched 50 seats in the Senate, but the stakes remain high for Georgia’s Dec. 6 runoff between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Neither candidate surpassed the 50% threshold needed to win the race outright in the November general election, forcing a runoff.
Here’s what that means and what a win or a loss would mean for Democrats and the GOP:
What is a runoff and how does it work? A runoff is an additional election used to determine the winner of a certain race when neither candidate earns the required threshold for victory – in this case, 50%.
In Georgia, runoffs are more straightforward than general elections in that the candidate with the most votes wins.
How will the voting work? Georgia’s top elections official, Brad Raffensperger, said counties are already preparing for the Dec. 6 election, and voters can request absentee ballots starting Wednesday through Nov. 28 via the state’s online portal.
Early voting must begin by Nov. 28 in all counties, but Raffensperger said his office anticipates some counties could have early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26 or Sunday, Nov. 27. “We are working with the counties to find out what their plans are on this front,” he said.
What is at stake for each party? Put simply, a lot.
With Democrats projected to hold 50 Senate seats, voters in Georgia will determine whether the chamber remains split 50-50 – and runs based on a power-sharing agreement that depends on Vice President Kamala Harris breaking tie votes – or whether Democrats gain the 51 seats needed for a true majority.
Top officials from the Democratic and Republican parties told CNN they intend to double down on their significant investments in Georgia, with an increasing assumption that meaningful control of the Senate could hinge on the outcome of the runoff.
CNN’s Gregory Krieg and Ella Nilsen contributed to this report.