What is a runoff? Everything you need to know about the Georgia Senate candidates

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Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock will face off against his Trump-endorsed GOP challenger, Herschel Walker, on December 6 in a runoff election.

The Georgia Secretary of State announced Wednesday that the Peach State’s Senate race will advance on to a runoff election as neither candidate has been able to reach 50% of the vote.

As it stands, Warnock currently leads Walker by a razor-thin margin, 49.4% to 48.5%. The Fox News Decision Desk confirmed shortly after that Secretary’s announcement that the race will go to a runoff.

Georgia is unique from other battleground races in that a candidate must reach a simple majority — at least 50% of the vote — to declare victory.

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What is a runoff election?

A runoff election is a second election that is held when neither candidate meets the required threshold of votes for victory. The threshold of required votes in runoff elections is determined by each state, but is typically a simple majority. In Georgia, the winning candidate must win 50% of the votes or more.

Runoff elections can be held for primary and general elections but are more commonly used in primary elections. Currently, 10 states employ a runoff election system for their primaries. Only Georgia and Louisiana use runoff elections in general elections.

Only the top two candidates receiving the most votes will move on to a runoff, typically held shortly after the first election at a date predetermined by each state.

On Georgia’s Dec. 6 runoff election, voters will only have two options on their Senate ballots: Warnock and Walker. In the general election, the third-party candidate, Chase Oliver, garnered about 2% of the vote.

SENATE RUNOFF BETWEEN HERSCHEL WALKER AND RAPHAEL WARNOCK CONFIRMED FOR THE PEACH STATE

Georgia’s Senate candidates: Warnock vs. Walker

Warnock, a Baptist pastor and the Democratic incumbent in the Georgia Senate race, was elected in a 2021 special election, narrowly defeating his Republican opponent, then-incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler

Walker, who won a Heisman Trophy and helped steer the University of Georgia to a college football national championship four decades ago, jumped into the GOP race to face off against Warnock in the summer of last year, after months of support and encouragement to run for the Senate by former President Donald Trump, his longtime friend.

The former football star has faced allegations from two women who claim Walker paid for their abortions, contradicting his pro-life stance on the campaign trail. Walker has denied both allegations.

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Biden won Georgia by the smallest margin of any state in the 2020 presidential race, and has been noticeably absent from the Georgia campaign trail throughout the midterm elections.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.