Secretary of State Predicts 'There Will Be a Recount' in Crucial State
The state of Georgia is headed for a recount after Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden took a slim lead there Friday morning.
President Donald Trump had been leading since Tuesday evening, but three days later the president lost the lead in the crucial state, which is still finding votes.
CBS News reported Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news briefing that a margin of half a point triggers an automatic recount.
“There will be a recount,” he predicted.
At noon local time Friday, Biden was leading Trump by 0.03 percent — 49.40 to 49.37.
Raffensperger also vowed that the process during such a recount would embrace transparency.
“This process is and will remain open and transparent to monitors,” he said.
“Interest in our election obviously goes far beyond Georgia’s borders,” the secretary said. “The final tally in Georgia at this point has huge implications for the entire country.”
“We will get it right,” Raffensperger added.
“With a margin that small, there will be a recount,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says, as race between Biden and Trump is down to thousands of votes
“The final tally in Georgia at this point has huge implications for the entire country” https://t.co/fxHKy8hSEp pic.twitter.com/um03Yn3unW
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 6, 2020
It is not clear how long the expected recount could take.
Georgia has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1992.
CBS News reported Friday morning that 4,169 ballots ballots were outstanding in Georgia, but Raffensberger estimated the number at double that.
He also confirmed that thousands of military and overseas absentee ballots had yet to be returned as of Thursday.
Raffensperger said on Twitter there were potentially almost 9,000 overseas or military ballots still outstanding.
“With counting continuing in numerous counties throughout Georgia, as of 8:15 a.m. today there are approximately 8,197 ballots still outstanding,” he wrote Friday morning.
Added the secretary of state, “Approx. 8,900 requested military/overseas ballots have not been returned, but can be today if postmarked by Election Day.”
With counting continuing in numerous counties throughout Georgia, as of 8:15 a.m. today there are approximately 8,197 ballots still outstanding.
Approx. 8,900 requested military/overseas ballots have not been returned, but can be today if postmarked by Election Day.
— GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) November 6, 2020
Raffensperger also broke down which counties he expected outstanding ballots to come from.
Here is the breakdown by county:
Cobb: 700
Floyd County: 444
Gwinnett County: 4,800
Laurens County: 1,797
Taylor County: 456— GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) November 6, 2020
Most of the outstanding ballots were in traditionally Republican Gwinnett County.
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