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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Georgia voters will wait until at least Friday for the final word on which will be their next governor after a federal election.
In an order late on Monday, Judge Amy Totenberg's US District Court Judge Amy Totenberg urged county election officials to conduct a "good faith" or "independent" review of ballots cast by voters on a provisional basis in the race between Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican and Georgia form Secretary of State Brian Kemp.
The race was one of at least a dozen high-profile US contests where the final results remained unclear one week after Americans went to the polls. The Midterm Congressional Election on Nov. 6 produced a divided federal government, with Democrats taking control of the US House of Representatives and President Donald Trump's Republican Party expanding their majority in the US Senate.
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Officials in Florida are also recounting the results of the US Senate and Gubernatorial seats.
"This remedy is necessary and warranted, based on the nature of the evidence in the record, the fundamental importance of the interest of the voters that can not be remedied after final certification, and the urgency of the situation," wrote Totenberg, who is handling the case in Atlanta federal court.
Officials should "engage in an independent review" of "voters" information on a rolling basis to avoid final delaying certification, she said.
Kemp had been declared victory on election night, even as the Abrams campaign was more likely to be more permanent, and absent ballots still to be tallied.
The Georgia contest is under national scrutiny because of Kemp's role in the state's election, held in place by the Nov. 6 vote. Voting rights groups and prominent Democrats have accused the Republican of using his position to suppress minority votes, an allegation he has strongly denied.
Abrams is the first female governor in the United States.
In Florida over the weekend, Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott and Democratic US Senate Senator Bill Nelson, with another recount under way for the gubernatorial race between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum.
Florida law mandates recounts in elections where the margin of victory is less than 0.5%.
The result of Arizona's closely fought US Senate race emerged on Monday night when US Representative Kyrsten Sinema was declared the winner and Republican opponent Martha McSally conceded, after multiple media outlets called the closely contested Arizona race for the Democrat.
Sinema will succeed Republican Senator Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic, who did not seek reelection.
Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone and Bernadette Baum
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