Barred from Saturday early voting, Chatham to open polls on Sunday for U.S. Senate runoff

Update: A Fulton County judge ruled in favor of Saturday voting on Friday, Nov. 18. Chatham will host early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1117 Eisenhower Drive.

Due to the state's interpretation of Georgia’s voting law, there will be no Saturday early voting in Chatham County for the much-anticipated Herschel Walker vs. Raphael Warnock U.S. Senate runoff.

Instead, those who want to vote on a weekend - outside the typical work week - can go to the polls on Sunday, Nov. 27.

The Chatham County Board of Registrars announced early voting plans Wednesday, days after the Georgia Secretary of State's office declared that Saturday voting in the 2022 runoff would violate state law.

A 2016 law prevents early voting on Saturdays that immediately precede or follow a state holiday. And officials in Georgia have decided that's the case, quite literally. Next Friday is "State Holiday," which was, until 2015, observed as Confederate general Robert E. Lee's birthday.

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That means in both Chatham County and every other county in the state, there’ll be no Saturday voting for the runoff. But Chatham will get one day of Sunday voting.

In Chatham, the Sunday, Nov. 27 voting will be held at two locations: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Board of Elections Main Office at 1117 Eisenhower Dr.; and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Savannah Civic Center at 301 West Oglethorpe Ave.

Starting Monday, Nov. 28, there'll be a week of early voting at the usual early voting locations in Chatham.

The campaign of Raphael Warnock, the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee are suing over the Saturday early voting ban, and Chatham Board of Registrars Chairman Colin McRae said he and his team will take a "wait-and-see" approach to the lawsuit.

Should a ruling comes down in favor of Warnock and the coalition of Democratic organizations joining the lawsuit in advance of Saturday, Nov. 26, McCrae said the BOR will be ready to add the extra day of early voting.

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Where can I early vote for the runoff in Chatham County?

Sunday voting, Nov. 27:

• Main office, 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite E, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

• Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday through Friday, Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

• Main office, 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite E, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

• Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Chatham County Mosquito Control, 65 Billy B. Hair Drive, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Islands Library, 50 Johnny Mercer Blvd., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Southwest Chatham Library, 14097 Abercorn St., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Absentee ballots

Voters looking to cast an absentee ballot can still request one up until the Nov. 28 deadline, but it will be a slim window to get the ballot in the mail and return it.

Completed ballots can be dropped off at the Board of Elections Main Office. Also, those who requested absentee ballots can still opt to vote in person instead. However, they must bring the absentee ballot to the polls and have an elections official spoil it before casting an in-person ballot.

Voters can check the status of absentee ballots at mvp.sos.ga.gov. If a voter has mailed a completed ballot, but it has not yet been accepted, voters can appear in person to cancel the ballot and cast their vote in person on Election Day.

Additionally, completed absentee ballots can be delivered to drop boxes inside of three early voting sites, but only during early voting hours. Absentee ballot drop boxes will not be available on Election Day.

Drop box early voting sites include the Board of Elections Main Office, Islands Library and Chatham County Mosquito Control.

Those looking to early vote can also check wait times at different early voting sites through the Board of Registrar's website, voter.chathamcountyga.gov.

How long? Check live early voting wait times at Chatham County polling places

Controversy

The key argument in the lawsuit filed by Warnock is the 2016 legislation applies only to primary and general elections, not runoffs. In their lawsuit the plaintiffs argue that elsewhere in the law, runoffs are specifically mentioned, so the omission should be considered intentional.

"(The law's) exception for advance voting on Saturdays falling on or after a holiday applies only to primary and general elections, not runoffs," the lawsuit argues.

More specifically, according to this section of state law, early voting begins "as soon as possible prior to a runoff" and no later than two Mondays before the runoff. Further down in the code section, the law sets a stipulation about Saturday voting, disallowing it "if such second Saturday follows a public and legal holiday occurring on the Thursday or Friday immediately preceding such second Saturday."

The law goes on to say this day of Saturday voting will be made up on the third Saturday prior to the runoff. But there's an issue with that too, thanks to Georgia's 2020 voting reform law, known as S.B. 202, which tightens the certification window.

“Illegal attempts to block Saturday voting are another desperate attempt by career politicians to squeeze the people out of their own democracy and to silence the voices of Georgians,” said Quentin Fulks, Warnock for Georgia campaign manager, in a press release.

Previously, what's now known as "State Holiday” was observed as the birthday of Robert E. Lee, a general of the Confederacy during the Civil War, despite Lee's birthday actually being Jan. 19.  The name changed to “State Holiday” after Gov. Nathan Deal removed both Confederate Memorial Day and Lee's birthday from the state's official holiday calendar in 2015.

But it’s still a state holiday, and state workers are off, so the state argues that it falls under the code section in question.

SOS Brad Raffensperger sent out a statement denouncing the lawsuit.

"If recent elections prove one thing, it’s that voters expect candidates to focus on winning at the ballot box - not at the courthouse," he wrote. "Senator Warnock and his Democratic Party allies are seeking to change Georgia law right before an election based on their political preferences. Instead of muddying the water and pressuring counties to ignore Georgia law, Senator Warnock should be allowing county election officials to continue preparations for the upcoming runoff."

Will Peebles is the City Council and County Commission reporter for Savannah Morning News, covering local Savannah and Chatham County decisions. He can be reached at wpeebles@savannahnow.com or on Twitter @willpeeblesSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham early voting: Where, when to cast ballot for US Senate runoff