‘A lot is on the line’ for election day voters in US Senate runoff

Indoors, there were little to no lines and minimal wait times in the race between Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.

“I think a lot is on the line,” Prueter said. “A big issue for me is abortion rights. I was concerned that Walker was in favor of nationwide ban on abortion. I also feel strongly about gun control measures and I think I’m aligned with Warnock on that as well. Those are two huge issues for me.”

Credit: Lautaro Grinspan

Credit: Lautaro Grinspan

For Sandrine Nkuranga, also a Warnock supporter, the candidates’ stances on policy issues weren’t a determining factor.

“It came down to a character-based decision,” she said. “I want to be proud of who is representing my state.”

Nkuranga had arrived at the polling place shortly after polls opened. She was unable to vote, though, because she had forgotten her ID at home.

“I was in the car and I was like, ‘I don’t want to go back in there,’” she said. “But you know what? I have to. It’s too easy and too important.”

Chloe Shepherd, 34, said she dislikes Georgia’s runoff system, which requires another election when neither candidate wins over 50% of the vote in the general election.

In most of the rest of the country, the candidate who wins the most votes in the first election is the winner, even without a majority.

“I feel like having people come out twice, there’s always the chance of not capturing as many voters the second time around. So, if there’s a way to make it so that the first time you get out and vote, that the system can pick a winner, that would be more beneficial for the voters,” she said. “Every other state manages to do it.”