Georgia Supervisor of Elections race the clock to prepare for Senate Runoff

THOMAS COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) - As the race for the US Senate goes to a runoff, the race is on for Georgia elections offices to prepare.

With three weeks to go, officials say they’re scrambling to line up early and absentee voting, getting information out to voters and more.

The runoff between Republican Herschel Walker and Incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock is set for December 6. Over the next week the elections office in Thomas County will be waiting on ballots that they’ve ordered to come in, and shipping ballots out to those voting by mail. Early voting will begin on Monday, November 28. The last day to request a vote by mail or absentee ballot is also on the 28.

Supervisor of Elections in Thomas County, Frank Scoggins says he and his team are planning to work through the holiday to make sure everything is in order in time for the runoff in December.

“We’ve proofed our ballots. We’ve ordered our ballots, and we’re just waiting to get the ballots, and for what we call the project. Which is actually the election that we have to load all of the machines that we’re sending out on election day and also the early voting,” he said.

As for voters wanting to participate in the runoff election, there are a few important facts Scoggins says you should know as you prepare. Mail-in or absentee ballots are available online now through the portal. Officials say it would save time, and be accessible a lot sooner than waiting for it to be mailed.

Also, if you did not vote in the general election, you can still vote during the runoff come due to it being a federal election.

Early voting will start on the 28, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but will only last for five days.

“We’re not working on that Saturday, because what we have to do on that Saturday takes everybody that voted in those five days and roll it back into the voters file so that there wouldn’t be the possibility of voting twice,” Scoggins said.

Georgia was one of the states being watched to determine which party controls the US Senate, but with Democratic wins in Nevada and Arizona democrats will maintain a majority.