Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wants to end general election runoffs

Georgia's top elections official urged lawmakers on Wednesday to end general election runoffs — this month's bitter Senate contest was the latest example — but offered no specific proposals, saying there is a "wide range of options."

The push by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to discard the unusual format for general elections comes after high-profile Senate races went into overtime this year and in 2020, with Democrats winning each time. Democrat Raphael Warnock has twice won runoffs, including his Dec. 6 victory over GOP challenger Herschel Walker. Warnock's win securing his first six-year term widened Democrats' majority in the Senate to 51 seats.

Raffensperger said in a statement that Georgia is "one of the only states that always seems to have a runoff" and that the legislature should "consider reforms." Georgia is one of four states that have runoffs in general elections, though only Georgia and Louisiana use them for all races. Nine states hold runoffs in primaries, though the rules vary.