Georgia voters heading to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, will cast ballots in one of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country.

Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking a second term against Republican Rep. Mike Collins, who has represented Georgia’s 10th Congressional District since 2023. Ossoff won his seat in a January 2021 runoff, flipping it from Republican to Democratic control.

The outcome could shape Senate control. Republicans hold a narrow majority, and Ossoff is the only incumbent Democrat up for reelection in a state Donald Trump won in 2024, according to WABE’s voter guide.

What the candidates are saying

The candidates have clashed over affordability, healthcare, the war in Iran and immigration, WABE reported.

Collins blamed “Biden-omics” and high taxes for rising living costs. Ossoff pointed to Trump administration tariffs and promised to repeal them. Both raised concerns about rural healthcare access. Ossoff blamed rising costs on Medicaid cuts, while Collins blamed the Affordable Care Act.

Collins authored the Laken Riley Act, the first law Trump signed in his second term. Ossoff voted for it. The law requires detention of certain noncitizens covered by specified immigration-law provisions who are arrested for, charged with or admit to listed offenses, including theft, burglary and crimes causing death or serious bodily injury, according to the enacted legislation.

Ossoff has also led investigations into alleged human rights abuses at immigration detention facilities, WABE reported.

Pre-election polls

Several October polls showed Ossoff leading.

An Echelon Insights survey conducted Oct. 16–23 for NetChoice found Ossoff at 55% and Collins at 40%, including leaners. The survey included 508 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points, according to the original poll.

A Quantus Insights poll of 755 likely voters put Ossoff at 51.8% and Collins at 44.9%, with a 3.8-percentage-point margin of error. An AJC and University of Georgia poll of 1,000 likely voters showed Ossoff at 48% and Collins at 40%, with 12% unsure and a 3.1-percentage-point margin of error. Those figures were reported by the Augusta Chronicle.

NPR reported that Ossoff “is likely to defeat” Collins, though the outcome will depend on votes cast.

Polls, results and the runoff rule

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballots.

Georgia requires a candidate to win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two finishers advance to a Dec. 1 runoff.

A 2021 law shortened the general-election runoff window from nine weeks to four.

Georgia’s January 2021 Senate runoffs helped deliver Democratic control of a chamber split 50-50. Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue by about 1.2 percentage points. The December 2022 runoff expanded Democrats’ existing majority to 51 seats rather than determining which party controlled the Senate.

Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot through My Voter Page. Official results will appear on the Georgia Secretary of State’s election results page after polls close.