For the last several months, in closed-door meetings, Secretary of State Brian Kemp has warned Republican inhabitants of the state Capitol that a federal lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter the state’s 2014 election calendar – making our party primary campaigns longer, more expensive and, just possibly, more moderate.
More to the point: The calendar change could make it easier for Michelle Nunn, or a Democrat like her, to wheedle out a victory in next year’s U.S. Senate contest.
At the heart of the lawsuit is Georgia’s devotion to runoffs – in both primaries and the general election – and the three weeks allotted to political overtime. The Justice Department maintains that 21 days isn’t nearly enough time to collect and count ballots cast from overseas by military personnel and other ex-pats.
The legal fight isn’t over. A judge has yet to rule, and an appeal is possible. But the tone of secretary of state’s briefings, according to those who have heard him, indicate Kemp doesn’t think the state’s odds of prevailing are very high.
“It’s definitely something we’re following closely,” said Chris Crawford, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, one of four Republicans now in the U.S. Senate contest. “I don’t think it would give anybody an advantage, but we’d like a decision as soon as possible.”
The calendar pitched by U.S. Department of Justice: A June 3 primary, followed eight weeks later by a runoff on Aug. 6. The November general election wouldn’t be affected, but a runoff – if required —- wouldn’t be held until Jan. 6.
That’s right. Six months could elapse from the casting of the first ballot to the last. The lawsuit only affects federal offices, but Kemp said in an interview that there would be terrific pressure to bring state contests into alignment.
via A new election calendar could wreak havoc on Georgia’s 2014 races | Political Insider | www.ajc.com.
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