Georgia

With early voting underway in Georgia, Republicans and Democrats continue to battle over a race that could determine the future of the voting process in the state.

Georgia's next secretary of state will be decided in a runoff election on Dec. 4. The race pits former Congressman John Barrow, a Democrat, against Brad Raffensperger, a Republican state representative. Raffensperger finished the Nov. 6 election with 49 percent of the vote, leading Barrow by just 16,278 votes out of 3.8 million cast. The race went to a runoff because neither candidate surpassed 50 percent.

Both the GOP and Democrats have intensified their focus on the secretary of state race because of the key powers the office has in overseeing elections. The office organizes and oversees all electoral activity, including voter registration and municipal, county, state, and federal elections. The next secretary of state will be responsible for protecting voters' rights and replacing the state's 16-year-old electronic voting machines.

The winner will succeed interim Secretary of State Robyn Crittenden, who was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to replace Brian Kemp, a Republican who resigned the post after being elected governor. Voting rights activists criticized Kemp's tenure as secretary of state for overseeing his own gubernatorial election and for his involvement in voter suppression efforts.