Georgia Election Results: LIVE Romney Looks Set to Win 16 Electoral Votes Here
If you’re looking at the live blog for Georgia’s election results, you’re either bored or, like me, from the Peach State. Mitt Romney will win the state’s 16 electoral votes. There are no gubernatorial or Senate campaigns to focus on. Most of the Congressional campaigns have long been decided and the balance of power will likely not be shifted in Georgia. There is a grand total of one competitive national election this year – the race for the 12th District seat in the House of Representatives.
That 12th District race has gotten some press attention as Democrat John Barrow is the last white Democrat in the Deep South. He has served as a Congressman since 2005, but his district has changed since then. The liberal district he was elected to was diluted by a mid-decade redistricting. It wasn’t enough to take him out of office, however. The 12th was redistricted again for this election, turning it to a staunchly Republican area. Most political pundits predicted his tenure would end with the redistricting. Against all odds, Barrow had a 50-44 lead in a new poll. Barrow is a rare politician nowadays – a moderate Democrat who has voted against such Democratic measures as the Affordable Health Care Act and a white Democrat in the South.
Two constitutional amendments are on the ballot this year. The first is a hotly contested change that opponents say would allow states to approve charter schools and improve the struggling education system, but opponents argue could result in a loss of local control and lack of funding to public schools. The second is a largely procedural amendment that would allow states to enter into longer agreements to lower costs.
PolicyMic will be covering the 2012 election from the state of Georgia live. For live updates, bookmark and refresh this page.
UPDATE 11:40 Thanks to everyone who was reading this. Now that the Georgia measures have been decided, and Obama has been declared the winner, I'm concluding this live blog. Have a good night.
UPDATE 11:31 After all the media attention, it really was Ohio that played the role of decider.
UPDATE 11:26 Nate Silver must be pretty proud of himself right now.
UPDATE 11:20 Barack Obama has won in his reelection campaign. And it isn't even midnight.
UPDATE 11:08 CNN projects the Democrats will retain control of the Senate.
UPDATE 11:04 As expected, CNN projects California, Washington, and Hawaii in Obama's column for a total of 71 electoral votes. Romney grabs North Carolina's 15. CNN now has the race at Obama 238, Romney 191.
UPDATE 10:57 In less than five minutes, Obama will recieve a huge influx of electoral votes with the polls closing in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, along with Idaho and North Dakota.
UPDATE 10:49 With 94% of precincts now reporting and a 19,000 vote margin, CNN has just projected Barrow will retain his seat in the House of Representatives.
UPDATE 10:38 With almost 90% of precincts reporting, Barrow can breathe a little easier.
UPDATE 10:27 I must have missed this projection.
UPDATE 10:15 The Charter School Amendment has an overwhelming margin supporting it. This amendment will pass.
UPDATE 10:09 Let's take another quick look at the CNN map, which has Romney at 158 and Obama at 147
UPDATE 10:06 CNN and NBC both have Obama winning New Hampshire, a state without a large number of electoral votes, but an important one, nonetheless. It also means that Obama won the entire Northeast.
UPDATE 9:50 Big senate pickups for the Democrats in Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Joe Donnelly (IN). So far, the returns favor the Republicans in Virginia, where George Allen is doing well.
UPDATE 9:40 NBC has called Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for Obama, giving him a huge 30 electoral votes. Romney had high hopes for both states.
UPDATE 9:20 The votes in a few more Democratic areas of District 12 have now been counted, giving Congressman John Barrow a 57-43 advantage with 42% of votes counted. Amendment 2 is sailing through right now, while Amendment 1 is gaining ground and looks like it will pass.
UPDATE 9:15 Exit polls show an interesting dynamic. While more voters identify as Democrats, more voters also declare themselves to be conservative.
UPDATE 9:08 CNN says that Boehner's job as Speaker is safe.
UPDATE 9:03 And as those polls closed, Mitt Romney picked up Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Texas, Louisian, and Mississippi. Obama might be the bigger winner, however, as he grabbed New York, New Jersey, and the slightly less solid Michigan. CNN has Romney leading at 152 to 123.
UPDATE 8:59 Polls will close in swing states Colorado and Wisconsin in under a minute.
UPDATE 8:54 With 30% reporting, Congressman Barrow is still trailing in his reelection bid.
UPDATE 8:45 The current CNN map
UPDATE 8:40 Now, with over 10% of precincts reporting, Atlanta's WSBTV has voters approving of the Charter School Amendment at a 53-47 margin. Amendment 2, allowing multi-year rentals, is passing by a 60-40 margin.
UPDATE 8:36 Arkansas and Oklahoma have been called for Romney, pushing his electoral lead to 73-64. However, early poll results are not as favorable to Romney as hoped in such important swing states as Florida and Ohio.
UPDATE 8:32 The AP has called the Senate races in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, and Rhode Island for the Democrats. Tennessee goes to the Republicans. And two independents, expected to caucus with the Democrats, win in Vermont and Maine.
UPDATE 8:13 CNN just projected Georgia to go for Governor Romney. Not a huge surprise. Meanwhile, the Charter School Amendment still could go either way. Don't be surprised if that question takes all night to decide.
UPDATE 8:03 Polls everywhere just closed as Obama just picked up a large number of electoral votes in the north: Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Romney gained Oklahoma. CNN has it at Obama - 64 Romney - 40.
UPDATE 8:00 We have finally crossed the 1% mark! And more polls have just closed around the nation.
UPDATE 7:54 Finally some concrete, albeit incomplete, numbers.
UPDATE 7:45
UPDATE 7:40 Only needing to pick up two Senate seats, the Georgia GOP may be able to achieve a "supermajority" in the state Senate. However, that effort looks like it may fail in the House.
UPDATE 7:31 With only 3 out of 2844 precincts reporting, the Charter School Amendment is ahead 10,420 to 8,907. A substantial, but very early lead.
UPDATE 7:25 CNN calls Indiana for Romney, who takes the early 19-3 lead.
UPDATE 7:15 Late shift in Nate Silver's projections:
UPDATE 7:00 And just like that, the polls are closed. Early CNN projections call Vermont for Obama and Kentucky for Romney.
UPDATE 6:30 Just a reminder that the polls in Georgia close at 7:00. There's still time to vote for those of you coming late to the party.
UPDATE 6:23 Barack Obama can at least be ensured of one victory today. In what is now a campaign tradition, he played a game of basketball with some campaign staffers and friends. Obama also had a ringer in his corner in the form of Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen, who may have contributed to the easy win.
UPDATE 6:05 PM Concerned that no one one is considering the candidates' musical tastes? Look no further than this comparison of the official campaign playlists: http://www.onrecordmusic.com/the-presidential-music-debate/
UPDATE: 5:25 PM Let's take a look at some of the more closely contested measures, starting with the proposed amendment for charter schools. Here's the question as it appears on the ballot: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities? Governor Deal is going up against several school district superintendents by favoring this bill.
UPDATE 9:52 Early voting in Georgia is going strong. Despite concerns that voter turnout might be down significantly, through Thursday 1.6 million had voted in Georgia, as reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. That number could break the record 2 million from 2008 if Friday also had high turnout.