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Early voting in full swing ahead of Georgia US Senate Runoff Election

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Early voting is underway in Georgia and the balance of power in the US Senate is at stake.

Once again, all eyes are on Georgia, as the runoff for US Senate has national implications.

Whether those voters show up for the runoff and how their votes swing could decide the winner of the race on December 6th.

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There was no shortage of voters at an early vote site we visited in St. Marys Georgia Monday morning.

The race on the top of voters’ minds: The runoff for US Senate between Raphael Warnock and Hershel Walker.

“I’m going with the most experienced candidate, the one that’s already in there. Mr. Warnock,” said Warnock supporter Juance Wilson.

“I’ll just say run Herschel run,” said Walker supporter Wayne Farley.

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Democrats have already secured 48 seats in the Senate, plus two independents who caucus with Democrats, effectively giving them the majority with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie breaking vote.

In the last Georgia senate runoff, the race determined which party took that majority in the US Senate.

This time, Senator Warnock is hoping to add to Democrats’ razor thin majority, while Walker aims to keep the 50/50 split in the chamber.

UNF political science professor Sean Freeder said while the stakes may not be as high this time, that doesn’t mean the race is without consequences.

“For instance, Joe Manchin has not been a reliable voter for the Democratic Party. By having that 51st vote there, there may be a little bit of flexibility where they could lose him, maybe pick up the other vote,” said Freeder.

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For Republicans, the advantage of winning would be seen further down the road.

“The primary advantage is that these are six-year seats. So, even if winning doesn’t help them now, retaining that one seat could help them in two years or four years as they’re trying to build a majority,” said Freeder.

But for voters we spoke with, their motivation is simply to pick the candidate that best represents their values.

“I believe in the family. I don’t think one of the candidates does the best job of protecting the family and so, that’s what I’m about,” said Farley.

“I just can’t imagine Herschel Walker being in the Senate, doesn’t seem to be a very smart guy,” said Warnock supporter Ayanna Thompson.

Warnock grabbed about 36,000 more votes than Walker in the November election, but 81,000 votes went to a Libertarian candidate who is no longer in the running.

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