Georgia Election Results
Georgia voting results consist of tallied counts from early voting, in-person voting and absentee ballots (no excuse mail-in voting) for every race or proposition on the GA general election ballot including -- President, Governor, Senate and House races, State officials, local/city/county elections, and local/state ballot initiatives.
Early voting turnout results are announced throughout the early voting window, while the rest of GA election results are announced after polls close on Election Day evening, November 3rd.
GA election results are published online from every mainstream and local news site covering the election, while national and local TV news channels update viewers live as results come in per county.
Voting Results Trackers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) provides an easy way to track Georgia voting results; they are the only major daily newspaper for the Atlanta metro area. Ballotpedia is another source to track results for all Georgia races.
For national coverage, mainstream sites like NBC News or Fox News provide live GA election results trackers. And for local news, 11 Alive, WTOC 11 and WSB-TV post real-time voting results.
You can also track the status of your own ballot on Georgia’s My Voter Page.
Vote By Mail Results
Absentee ballots cannot be counted until the polls officially close, which will most likely delay winner announcements by several hours to several days, as mail-in ballots have to be verified (made sure they were filled out correctly) before they can be accepted and tallied.
Georgia absentee ballots are no excuse mail-in ballots that must be received by the Election Day poll closing time of 7pm to be counted. Exceptions are for military and overseas voters that cast their ballot on Election Day -- GA gives them until November 6th to make sure the ballots arrive.
Georgia Exit Polls
A small segment of in-person GA voters from several different counties are surveyed after they vote to give pollsters a feel for how the election is going, and where voters stand on certain issues.
These voters are asked about key races for Georgia, hot-button political issues, high-profile candidates and ballot measures. Results and demographics are posted online and analyzed on local and national news channels once available.
For example, the 2016 general election exit polls surveyed 2,767 voters and returned these results, courtesy of CNN.
Early Voting Results
Georgia early voting begins October 12th and ends October 30th. Poll locations and voting times vary based on where you live and are registered to vote; use Georgia’s My Voter Page to see all poll locations and hours, along with everything you need to bring with you.
Track GA early voting turnout results online from most any news site covering the election; U.S. Election's Project allows you to see early voter turnout statistics per county and total mail-in ballot numbers. And NBC News and AJC are two mainstream sources with dedicated early voter turnout trackers for Georgia.
Georgia Polling Results
Many news sites post GA polling results and election forecasts. FiveThirtyEight is perhaps the most well-known resource for polling data, providing all the latest polls on the Presidential and GA Senate races. And CNN has the latest polling from many sources on the GA Presidential race.
GA Projections & Winners
Georgia voting results and projections are announced as quickly as they can be following Election Day poll closings. Around-the-clock, local and national news coverage with real-time updates begin the moment polls close and generally update viewers several times an hour that night, and on a regular basis thereafter until results are official.
Given large amounts of absentee ballots to verify and tally, along with military and overseas voters, final GA election results won't likely be announced for a few days after Election Day night, unless early results make it mathematically improbable or impossible for a candidate or measure to win.
Once enough votes have been tallied to convince election officials a particular candidate or ballot measure has enough votes, local news channels and major news organizations like CNN, Fox News and NBC News will report projections and declare race winners, both online and on live TV, in as close to real-time as they can.
Candidates then (typically) give an acceptance or concession speech once an outcome is reasonably agreed upon. Speeches are usually given in front of a crowd of campaign supporters. For the highest profile or most contested Georgia races, speeches can be seen on live TV throughout the evening and even into the early morning.
GA Recount Procedure
Georgia does not have any automatic recount triggers, so any recount for any race or ballot measure must meet certain criteria and be officially requested within a certain timeframe.
A recount can be requested by any candidate or party if the margin of defeat is equal to or less than 0.5% of the vote. The recount request must be made within two business days of official results.
Election officials can also order recounts if there is reason to believe the results contain errors or notable discrepancies. For counties that use paper or scanned ballots, any single candidate or party can petition an election official for a recount. For counties that use machines, at least three electors of the precinct have to petition an election official.
And finally the Secretary of State can request recounts if a candidate running for a state or federal office petitions with a convincing error or discrepancy with the voting outcome.
All recounts are paid for by the state of Georgia.
GA Runoff Elections
Georgia and Louisiana are the only two states in the union to conduct runoff elections in the general election - if no candidate reaches a plurality of votes (50.0% or more) then the top two candidates with the most votes in that race will run against each other again, in January.
The tally of votes will be wiped clean for the second election, and every registered voter has a chance to vote again.
For the 2020 election, two Georgia Senate races went to runoff elections, both of which take place on January 5th, 2021.