Georgia’s Senate races + our continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic
[The Daily Brew by Ballotpedia]
** WELCOME TO THE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, BREW.
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** HERE’S WHAT’S IN STORE FOR YOU AS YOU START YOUR DAY:
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* Outcome of Georgia’s U.S. Senate races undetermined as of last night
* Here are our most active pages regarding the coronavirus pandemic
* Ballot measure deadlines pass in Ohio, Washington with no campaigns submitting signatures
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** OUTCOME OF GEORGIA’S U.S. SENATE RACES UNDETERMINED AS OF LAST NIGHT
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Voters in Georgia decided runoffs in two U.S. Senate elections yesterday. As of 12 a.m. EST Wednesday, both races were considered too close to call. In the regular election, Sen. David Perdue (R) led Jon Ossoff (D) by fewer than 2,000 votes, with both candidates receiving 50.0% of the vote. In the state’s special election, Raphael Warnock (D) led Kelly Loeffler (R), 50.4%-49.6%.
Ballotpedia will not project a winner for these elections until there is a consensus projection made by a pool of five national news outlets: ABC, CNN, FOX, NBC, and the _New York Times_. None of the five outlets had called either election as of 12 a.m. EST Wednesday.
If Democrats win both runoffs, there will be a 50-50 tie between Democratic and Republican caucuses in the Senate, and Kamala Harris (D) would cast tie-breaking votes. If Republicans win one or both runoffs, they would maintain their majority.
The winners will be sworn in once results are certified, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) has until Jan. 22 to certify statewide results. Perdue's term ended on Jan. 3. The seat he held will be vacant until results are certified. Loeffler was appointed to temporarily serve the term Johnny Isakson (R) won, which ends in January 2023. Loeffler will remain a Senator until the results are certified, and whoever wins that race will complete the term.
In Georgia, a candidate may request a recount ([link removed]) within two business days of when results are certified if the margin between the candidates is less than or equal to 0.5%. Additionally, an election official may order a recount if it appears there is a discrepancy or error in the returns.
We’ll provide the latest information about both of these races later today in the _Runoff Report ([link removed]) ,_ our daily newsletter that contains coverage and analysis of yesterday’s U.S. Senate elections in Georgia.
> KEEP READING ([link removed])
** HERE ARE OUR MOST ACTIVE PAGES REGARDING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
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We’re continuing our coverage ([link removed]) of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic to help you stay informed about what is happening at the federal, state, and local levels.
Here are nine pages covering the pandemic and a brief description of what they include:
* Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* Lists of officials, politicians, and candidates who’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19, died from COVID-19, tested negative for the virus, or quarantined because of COVID-19
* Travel restrictions issued by states in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* Lists of statewide restrictions that apply to out-of-state travelers and returning residents, including quarantines requirements, if applicable
* Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine distribution by state ([link removed])
* INFORMATION ON AND LINKS TO EACH STATE’S VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLANS
* Federal government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* This page tracks federal government responses to the coronavirus pandemic, including actions of the Food and Drug Administration and Congress
* Lawsuits about state actions and policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* A state-by-state catalog of lawsuits filed over government responses to the pandemic
* Unemployment filings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* The Department of Labor’s tracking of weekly unemployment figures
* State-level mask requirements in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* State-by-state rules on masks
* School responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2020-2021 academic year ([link removed])
* State-by-state info on how schools responded to the pandemic, including state government-issued operating plans and timelines of major activity
* State budgets and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 ([link removed])
* Links to news coverage on how the pandemic is affecting state government budgets
And we also have our email newsletter—_Documenting America’s Path to Recovery ([link removed]) _—which provides daily updates and the latest information. Click the link below to subscribe for free and have today’s edition in your inbox later today!
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** BALLOT MEASURE DEADLINES PASS IN OHIO, WASHINGTON WITH NO CAMPAIGNS SUBMITTING SIGNATURES
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The deadline for initiative proponents to submit signatures for 2021 ballot initiatives passed in two states with no campaigns submitting signatures. Sponsors of Initiatives to the Legislature (ITL) in Washington ([link removed]) needed to submit 259,622 valid signatures by Dec. 31, and sponsors for initiatives in Ohio ([link removed]) needed to submit 132,887 signatures by Dec. 25.
In Washington, 216 ITLs were filed on a range of topics including taxes, sex education, sports betting, and affirmative action. If a campaign had submitted enough valid signatures for an ITL, the initiative would have gone before the legislature during the next regular session in January. There, the legislature would have either adopted it, rejected it, or proposed an alternative to the measure. If the legislature took either of the last two actions, measures would have been placed before voters in 2021.
Voters have decided 34 Initiatives to the Legislature in Washington since the first one in 1916, approving 18 of them. The most recent ITL, Initiative 976, was approved in 2019. The Washington Supreme Court later struck down the measure.
Initiative sponsors in Washington can still submit signatures for Initiatives to the People (ITP) which, if successful, place measures directly before voters. PROPONENTS HAVE UNTIL JULY 2 TO SUBMIT 324,516 VALID SIGNATURES TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN ORDER TO PUT AN ITP ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
Ohio voters may still decide two other types of ballot measures this year—constitutional amendments and veto referendums. Proponents must submit 442,958 signatures for initiated constitutional amendments and 265,774 signatures for veto referendums. The last odd-year election that featured citizen-initiated measures in Ohio was 2017 when voters decided two.
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