Raffensperger says Trump has an 'insurmountable' lead in Georgia

Secretary of authorities declares "It looks for illustration this is beautiful overmuch done."

Georgia is considered a cardinal battleground this twelvemonth successful nan statesmanlike election, aft it went bluish for nan first clip successful decades successful 2020.

The victor successful nan authorities will nett its 16 electoral votes.Polls are now closed successful nan plaything state.

State significance

In 2016, Georgia went for Donald Trump complete Hillary Clinton, but by a smaller separator than for erstwhile Republican candidates. In 2020, President Joe Biden flipped nan reliably reddish authorities bluish by astir 12,000 votes of much than 5 cardinal cast.

Trump challenged nan 2020 results, but a first-ever risk-limiting audit, which entailed counties recounting by manus each ballot cast, reaffirmed Biden's victory. The erstwhile president is now facing 8 criminal counts successful Georgia complete his alleged efforts to overturn his nonaccomplishment there.

Late Tuesday night, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, R, said astatine a property convention that "Donald Trump has an insurmountable lead pinch nan number of votes outstanding."

"It looks for illustration this is beautiful overmuch done," he said. "I deliberation nan results are beautiful good baked in."

Down-ballot races for nan authorities see Democrat Lucy McBath moving for a 4th term, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene seeking reelection and a erstwhile Trump aide, Brian Jack, moving for Congress for nan first time.

The authorities besides helped Democrats summation power of nan U.S. Senate by winning some runoff elections successful 2020. This year, however, Georgia doesn't person immoderate Senate races.

Counties are colored reddish aliases bluish erstwhile nan % expected ballot reporting reaches a group threshold. This period varies by authorities and is based connected patterns of past ballot reporting and expectations astir really nan ballot will study this year.