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The fate of the US Senate could come down to another Georgia runoff

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Posted at 11:47 AM, Nov 03, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-03 11:47:32-04

Voters in Georgia may have to return to the polls in December to elect their next U.S. senator.

Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock is in a tight race with Republican Herschel Walker. Polls show they are within a couple of points of each other. The Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver is polling in the single digits.

In Georgia, a candidate is required to receive more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. The balance of power in the Senate could hinge on that potential runoff election.

It would be a similar scenario to 2020 when Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff were part of runoff elections. They both beat their Republican counterparts.

The victories gave control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. The makeup of the Senate is currently split 50-50. However, Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote.

Millions of dollars have been poured into the Senate race in Georgia. If there's a runoff and control of the Senate is at stake, voters can expect to be deluged by ads from the campaigns and outside interest groups.