The Dec. 6 runoff election between Herschel Walker and Sen. Ralph Warnock (D-GA) is not without early controversy.
According to the Washington Examiner, Warnock and Democrat activist groups scored a victory in court after suing to allow early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The move fits in with the Democrats’ early solid ground game, which many believe helped them fend off the predicted “red wave” of the 2022 midterms.
The ruling was handed down by Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr.
The decision
Judge Cox Jr. issued the ruling in a 10-page opinion Friday afternoon.
“Based on the Court’s ruling, counties may provide advance voting on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Further, Defendant is hereby enjoined from interfering in efforts by counties to provide for advance voting on Saturday, November 26, 2022,” the judge wrote.
The case stemmed from debate over Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger office’s claim that voting early couldn’t take place on a weekend after a state holiday.
Deputy Secretary of State Gabriel Sterling had told reporters that early voting wouldn’t be allowed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, due to state law.
The plaintiffs in the case accused the office of “cherry-picking” the laws, and claimed that such a rule only applied to general elections and not runoffs.
What now?
As a result, the judge’s ruling enjoins Raffensperger’s office from, “preventing any votes cast on that day from being counted or included in the certified election results.”
While Democrats will still have majority control of the Senate, Walker’s race remains critically important.
Warnock’s campaign celebrated the decision, saying it’s a great outcome “especially for workers and students who will have a greater opportunity to make their voices heard in this election.”