The General Election was held Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide the presidency, members of the United States Congress and Georgia General Assembly, statewide races, amendments to Georgia's constitution, and other municipal races. The numbers below reflect the General Election's certified results that were made official by Georgia's Secretary of State office on November 20, 2020.
The General Election was held Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide the presidency, members of the United States Congress and Georgia General Assembly, statewide races, amendments to Georgia's constitution, and other municipal races.
The numbers below reflect the General Election's certified results that were made official by Georgia's Secretary of State on November 20, 2020.
FEDERAL RACES
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won Georgia over President Donald Trump (R) with a margin of 12,284 votes. Biden will earn Georgia's 16 Electoral College votes and will be the 46th President of the United States.
In the U.S. Senate, control of the chamber is still uncertain. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), will retain their majority.
In the race for Georgia’s senior U.S. Senate seat, incumbent David Perdue (R) and challenger Jon Ossoff (D) will go to a Jan. 5 runoff.
In the special election for the junior U.S. Senate seat, incumbent Kelly Loeffler (R) and Raphael Warnock (D) advanced to a Jan. 5 runoff. Congressman Doug Collins (R) finished third in the field of 21 candidates. Of Georgia's 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, all ten incumbents who sought reelection were successful, and Georgia will have four new members in the U.S. House of Representatives. Notable results are below:
STATEWIDE RACES
In the two statewide races for the Public Service Commission, incumbent Commissioner Bubba McDonald (R) and challenger Daniel Blackman (D) will head to a runoff on Jan. 5.
Incumbent Commissioner Jason Shaw (R) defeated Robert Bryant (D).
GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY RACES
Of the 236 seats in the Georgia General Assembly, 115 seats were contested. Democrats will pick up one seat in the State Senate, and Republicans will hold on to the majority. State Senator P.K. Martin (R-Lawrenceville), the incumbent in the race and chairman of the Education Committee, was defeated by Nikki Merrit (D).
In the House of Representatives, Democrats will have a net gain of two seats, and Republicans will maintain the majority. Voters ousted three Republican incumbents and one Democratic incumbent:
When the Georgia General Assembly convenes on Jan. 11, 2020, there will be 35 new legislators, 10 in the Senate and 25 in the House. Additionally, at least 12 committee chairmanships will be open, leading to significant changes in committee leadership.
On Dec. 1, a runoff will occur for the State Senate District 39 seat that was vacated by Sen. Nikema Williams (D). The runoff will be between Sonya Halpern (D) and Linda Pritchett (D).
Constitutional Amendments/Referendums
Amendment 1 – Passed
Authorizes the General Assembly to provide by general law for the dedication of revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were imposed. See House Resolution No. 164.
Amendment 2 – Passed
Provides that the people of this state may petition the judiciary for declaratory relief from certain acts of this state or certain local governments or officers or employees thereof that violate the laws or Constitution of this state or the Constitution of the United States. See House Resolution No. 1023.
Referendum A – Passed
Establishes a tax exemption for certain real property owned by charities. See House Bill 344.
Gwinnett Transit Referendum – Failed by less than half a point
Shall a special 1% sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of Gwinnett County for a period of time not to exceed 30 years and for the raising of funds for transit projects?
MAC ENGAGEMENT
The Metro Atlanta Chamber directly engaged in the general election through MACPAC, the Chamber’s political action committee. MACPAC supports pro-business candidates at the state level. MACPAC supported 103 candidates during this election cycle, and 94% of those candidates won their race.
In an effort to help elections run smoothly, the Metro Atlanta Chamber actively recruited poll workers. The “GA Poll Worker” campaign was launched in response to the long lines and troubles in the June 9 primary elections. MAC recruited over 2,220 poll workers from over 480 employers in 61 counties.
HOW GEORGIANS VOTED
The type of votes cast in the 2020 General Election reveals a significant shift in Georgian’s voting patterns due to the impact of the COVID-19 and increased access to absentee voting. As shown below, over 1.1 million more Georgians voted absentee, and over 495,000 more voted early compared to 2016. On Election Day, Georgia saw a drop of over 700,000 voters. This dramatic decrease in Election Day voters and an increase in poll workers resulted in an Election Day with reduced wait times and a quicker voting process.
KEY ELECTION DATES
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 – Georgia 5th Congressional District Special Election Runoff and State Senate District 39 Runoff
Monday, Dec. 7, 2020 – Registration Deadline for Jan. 5 Runoff
Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 – Early Voting begins for Jan. 5 Runoff
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021 – Runoffs for both U.S. Senate seats and Public Service Commission District 4
