Updated on Friday, Dec. 4 at 1:10 p.m.
Even with a recount of the presidential race still going on, Georgians have until Monday, Dec. 7 to make sure they’re registered to vote in the Jan. 5 runoffs.
Nearly five million voters cast ballots in Georgia in November — the biggest turnout in the state’s history.
Adrienne Jones, a political scientist at Morehouse College, says interest is likely to remain high for the January runoffs.
“We had greater turnout that we’ve had in previous elections, which I hope bodes well for people’s future participation,” said Jones.
Early, in-person voting begins on Dec. 14 and runs through Dec. 31. Exact days and times within that span vary by county, especially around the holidays.
As of Sunday, more than 880,000 voters had requested absentee ballots for the Jan. 5 runoff. Around 550,000 of those are on the list to automatically receive those ballots. An emergency rule by the State Election Board has extended the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.
Both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot. Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to hold off challenges from Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Democrats must win both seats to achieve a 50-50 split in the Senate.
“People are going to continue to be excited throughout the holiday season because the outcomes of those races will make a difference to how the new presidential administration will be able to exercise its agenda once they’re in office,” said Jones.
Voters can confirm their voter registration status at the My Voter Page.
Any registered voter can participate in the January runoff, even if they didn’t vote in November.
State officials have issued stern warnings against people moving to Georgia for the express purpose of voting in the January runoff. State law mandates that a “person’s habitation is fixed, without any present intention of removing therefrom.”
