The Jolt: Finger-pointing starts over long waits for Georgia voters

With long lines and just five days of statewide early voting before the runoff, many voters haven’t yet gone to the polls. Two days of early voting remain before election day Tuesday.

A total of over 1.1 million voters have already turned out through Wednesday, leaving nearly 2.9 million voters who showed up for the general election last month but haven’t yet participated in the runoff.

If large numbers of those voters wait until election day, they could face lines, too.

Recent election days in Georgia have been mostly smooth, with minimal waits to vote. But voters in the 2020 primary experienced extreme lines in some metro Atlanta areas after polling places closed during the coronavirus pandemic.

There were also lines in some areas in the 2018 general election, when 1.8 million voters turned out on Election Day. Polling places haven’t been tested with that level of in-person turnout since then.

As pictures of voters waiting in lines spread around social media, Republicans pointed to county staffing decisions for the delays, but Democrats blamed the Republican-sponsored law.

“These wait times result from bad policy choices,” state Sen. Michelle Au wrote on Twitter, adding, “The burden on voters to wait more than two hours to vote midday during the work week is not trivial.”

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

NO VOTE. Republicans in Georgia are closely watching a specific group of voters that they see as key to Herschel Walker’s hopes — fellow Republicans who voted for Gov. Brian Kemp enthusiastically in November, but either did not vote for Walker or were “soft” supporters of the Senate nominee.

With that background, listen to a comment from GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan on CNN Wednesday to understand why GOP strategists are increasingly worried about the runoff election.

Duncan told anchor John Berman he did indeed go to the polls Wednesday, but left without voting at all.

“It was the most disappointing ballot I’ve ever stared at in my entire life since I started voting,” Duncan said. “I had two candidates who I just couldn’t find anything that it made any sense to put my vote behind. So I walked out of that ballot box, showing up to vote but not voting for either one of them.”

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Duncan has been critical this year of Walker and some other Republicans, especially former President Donald Trump. Duncan’s willingness to hammer his own party is seen by some Capitol dwellers as largely self-serving.

“Herschel Walker was granted a mulligan in the form of a runoff — an extra four weeks to convince the 200,000 Georgians who pulled the lever for Gov. (Brian) Kemp and Sen. Warnock to change their minds,” Duncan told us earlier this week for a story on Walker’s woes.

”It certainly doesn’t feel like he’s made enough progress on that mission,” Duncan added, “and he’s running out of time.”

But the moment also speaks to a weakness in the Walker campaign that made him the only statewide Republican not to clear 50% of the vote in November. Roughly 200,000 voters who supported Kemp for governor, did not back Walker.

Ads and mailers featuring the governor making the case for Walker are blanketing the state and aimed directly at those voters.

Warnock, too, is looking to mobilize the swing voter group that picked Kemp, but not Walker, the last time around, along with any soft Walker supporters who may be up for grabs. In the case of the Republican lieutenant governor, at least, Walker didn’t make the case he’s up for the job.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

BIG MONEY. At least $78 million has been spent or reserved on ads during the four-week Senate runoff period, according to an analysis from media strategist Rick Dent, and Democrats have a roughly 2-to-1 edge.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s huge fundraising advantage has helped him dominate the airwaves in the closing stretch of the race.

Nearly $54 million has been spent to boost Warnock’s bid, including $25 million that came from his campaign and another $21 million from Georgia Honor, a pro-Warnock outside group.

Of the more than $24 million promoting Walker, about $10 million was from his campaign and $11.5 million more originated from the pro-Republican Senate Leadership Fund.

Not all the expenditures are high dollar. In all, more than 70 groups have spent money on the runoffs — some as little as $50.

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Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

RABBIS’ WORRIES. A group of Georgia rabbis and Jewish leaders is calling on Herschel Walker to join Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republicans in condemning former President Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Nick Fuentes, a known white supremacist.

While Kemp called Fuentes “un-American,” Walker has refused to say anything. In an open letter to Walker, the leaders asked Walker to “pledge to proactively call out any and all forms of hate, including antisemitism and white nationalism.”

“These concerns are top of mind within the Jewish community, and we seek understanding in the face of your silence,” read the letter, signed by 10 local rabbis. “We urge you to respond before election day so the Jewish community can fully understand your position.”

Walker has never addressed Trump’s dinner with Fuentes from the stump and his campaign has remained silent.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

OBAMA ARRIVES. Ahead of Barack Obama’s visit to Atlanta tonight to get out the vote for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, the former president cut an ad to vouch for the senator.

“In just two years in office, he’s worked to lower healthcare costs for seniors and bring good jobs to Georgia. And he’s been a clear voice in the fight to defend our democracy and protect the right to vote.”

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TODAY ON THE TRAIL:

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Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

RALSTON RUNNING. Moments after yesterday’s Jolt posted, an announcement came from Sheree Ralston, the widow of the late House Speaker David Ralston, that she will run in the special election to fill his seat in the Blue Ridge-based House District 7.

She said in a statement Wednesday that she’s running to “complete the unfinished work of my husband,” both in the solidly Republican North Georgia district he had represented since 2003 and on the issue of mental health care.

“David was our champion and voice at the Capitol,” she said, “and, if elected, that’s what I intend to be as well.”

As soon as Ralston made her announcement, Brian K. Pritchard, the other Republican in the race, released a statement that he is still running for the seat.

“We are a republic, not a monarchy. House seats are nontransferable,” he said. “It’s not up to Atlanta to pick a successor, it’s up to the people of the 7th District to decide who they want to represent them.” The special election is January 3.

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Credit: Bob Andres/AJC

Credit: Bob Andres/AJC

SMYRE WAITING. Time is running out for state Rep. Calvin Smyre to be confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas this Congress.

Smyre is among dozens of people appointed by President Joe Biden who are waiting for U.S. Senate confirmation. Currently, his nomination is pending in committee.

While the Senate is moving through nominations with just a few weeks to go in the current congressional session, there is no word on whether Smyre is among those who will get approved in time. Procedurally, it can still happen but there are no guarantees.

U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock’s offices didn’t provide us with any updates when we asked, and the White House was non-responsive. Smyre also declined comment.

If he does not get confirmed by the time the session ends on Jan. 2, Biden would have to renominate him and start the process over in the new Congress, which begins Jan. 3.

Biden had originally nominated Smyre, who lives in Columbus, to serve as ambassador to the Dominican Republic, but later changed the nomination to the neighboring country.

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Credit: Dustin Chambers/The New York Times

Credit: Dustin Chambers/The New York Times

AVERTING STRIKE. The U.S. House passed two measures Wednesday intended to avert a rail worker strike that could cripple the domestic supply chain.

The bill imposing a contract on rail unions passed 290-137. Most Democrats and about half of the Republican caucus signed off on the bill, including all six Democrats in Georgia’s delegation and GOP Reps. Buddy Carter and Drew Ferguson.

But the second piece, which would include seven days of paid sick leave in the contract, had less support. The bill was approved 221-207 with all but three Republicans opposed. All eight GOP members in Georgia’s delegation were a “no.”

The measure could come to the Senate floor as soon as today, where it needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. There is concern that there may not be enough Senate Republicans willing to support the paid leave language.

If the Senate doesn’t have the votes to approve the contract with the week of paid sick leave, there could be attempts to pass a measure without it. But that could stretch out negotiations past the Dec. 8 deadline for a strike that labor unions have threatened.

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Credit: Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Credit: Erin Schaff/The New York Times

TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

A DIFFERENT ELECTION DAY. U.S. House Democrats will vote today on lower-lever leadership positions, including who will help set messaging for the caucus.

U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams is among several members vying for a co-chair position on the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

As part of her campaign, the Atlanta Democrat produced a video touting her record as a party activist and chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia.

In the video, Williams says she “crafted a message strategy that helped deliver the White House and the U.S. Senate,” in 2020, but did not mention the Democrats’ eight statewide losses this time around.

“Here’s the thing, ya’ll,” she said. “I know how to get the job done.”

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