2020 United States presidential election in Georgia
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| 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia | |
|---|---|
 AdamG2016 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source | |
| Election name | 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia |
| Country | Georgia (U.S. state) |
| Type | presidential |
| Previous election | 2016 United States presidential election in Georgia |
| Previous year | 2016 |
| Next election | 2024 United States presidential election in Georgia |
| Next year | 2024 |
| Election date | November 3, 2020 |
| Turnout | 67.8% |
| Nominee1 | Joe Biden |
| Party1 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home state1 | Delaware |
| Running mate1 | Kamala Harris |
| Electoral vote1 | 16 |
| Popular vote1 | 2,473,633 |
| Percentage1 | 49.47% |
| Nominee2 | Donald Trump |
| Party2 | Republican Party (United States) |
| Home state2 | Florida |
| Running mate2 | Mike Pence |
| Popular vote2 | 2,461,854 |
| Percentage2 | 49.24% |
2020 United States presidential election in Georgia The 2020 presidential contest in Georgia was held on November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election. The state awarded 16 electoral votes, with a narrow popular-vote margin that made Georgia a focal point for national attention, recounts, and litigation involving multiple high-profile political actors and institutions.
Background
Georgia had been considered a Republican-leaning battleground after presidential victories by Donald Trump in 2016 and Mitt Romney in 2012, alongside statewide offices held by figures such as Brian Kemp and Kelly Loeffler. Demographic shifts in the Atlanta metropolitan area, including Fulton County, DeKalb County, Gwinnett County, and Cobb County, and mobilization efforts by advocacy organizations like Fair Fight and New Georgia Project altered partisan calculations. National actors such as the Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, Joe Biden's campaign, and Donald Trump's campaign increased investment in television markets covering Atlanta, Savannah, and Augusta. The state legislature, led by the Georgia General Assembly, oversaw election law frameworks shaped by prior legislation and controversies involving the Georgia Secretary of State's office.
Candidates and Campaigns
The major-party nominees were Joe Biden with running mate Kamala Harris for the Democratic Party (United States), and Donald Trump with running mate Mike Pence for the Republican Party (United States). Third-party and independent figures on the ballot included Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party (United States) and Howie Hawkins of the Green Party (United States). Campaign activity featured visits, advertisements, and organizational deployment by entities such as Priorities USA Action, America First Policies, Senate Majority PAC, and Club for Growth. Surrogates included Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, and Mitch McConnell, among others, participating in rallies, fundraisers, and media appearances across Atlanta, Columbus, Georgia, and Macon, Georgia. Local campaigns engaged county parties like the Georgia Democratic Party and the Georgia Republican Party, while political operatives such as Raphael Warnock—later a Senate candidate—and organizers associated with Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight Action conducted voter registration and turnout drives.
Voting Process and Administration
Georgia's election administration involved the Georgia Secretary of State's office, county election boards, and the Georgia State Election Board. The 2020 cycle saw expanded mail-in and absentee voting under protocols affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influencing public health measures at polling places. Implementation of the Georgia Voting System included touchscreen voting machines and optical scan ballots, maintenance by vendors such as Dominion Voting Systems, and post-election audits overseen by county registrars. Early voting centers in counties like Fulton County, Gwinnett County, and Cobb County were focal points for turnout. Legal frameworks including provisions of the Help America Vote Act and state statutes determined absentee ballot procedures, signature verification standards, and chain-of-custody rules applied by registrars and poll workers.
Election Results
The certified statewide popular vote gave Joe Biden 2,473,633 votes (49.47%) and Donald Trump 2,461,854 votes (49.24%), a margin of 12,779 votes in favor of Biden, who thereby won all 16 of Georgia's electoral votes under the United States Electoral College. Biden carried suburban and urban counties including Fulton County, DeKalb County, Chatham County (Savannah), and flipped Cobb County and Gwinnett County from 2016, while Trump prevailed in many rural counties such as Coffee County and Worth County. The distribution of votes was analyzed by media organizations like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and FiveThirtyEight, and by academic centers such as the Georgia State University and the University of Georgia's election research programs. Voter turnout increased compared with 2016, driven by early voting, absentee ballots, and mobilization efforts by grassroots organizations.
Recounts, Litigation, and Certification
Because of the narrow margin, Georgia conducted a statewide machine recount followed by a hand recount in select counties; these processes were administered by county election boards and certified by the Georgia Secretary of State's office. Litigation involved filings in Fulton County Superior Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and other venues brought by the Trump campaign and allied groups including lawyers associated with Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Lin Wood. Allegations challenged ballot handling, signature verification, and voting equipment; defendants included county election officials and vendors such as Dominion Voting Systems. State findings and audits, including a risk-limiting audit overseen by state officials and confirmed by bipartisan observers, found no evidence sufficient to change the outcome. Certification of the results was executed by the Georgia State Election Board and the secretary of state, after which Georgia's slate of presidential electors pledged to Biden met to cast electoral votes for Joe Biden at the Georgia State Capitol.
Aftermath and Political Impact
The election outcome propelled intense political consequences in Georgia and nationally: it elevated candidates such as Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff who later contested and won 2021 United States Senate special election in Georgia runoff contests that determined control of the United States Senate; it intensified debates over election administration led by the Georgia General Assembly, resulting in debates and legislation involving SB 202 and other bills affecting voting procedures. The post-election period also prompted federal inquiries by the United States Department of Justice and public statements by President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, while civic organizations like Fair Fight continued litigation and advocacy. Georgia's 2020 results reshaped national campaign strategies for the Democratic Party (United States) and the Republican Party (United States), influenced donor networks including ActBlue and WinRed, and further spotlighted suburban and minority voter coalition dynamics centered in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Category:2020 United States presidential election by state Category:Politics of Georgia (U.S. state)