Split tickets and the Biden effect: What to watch in Georgia’s election

Four years ago, state Democrats entered the final stretch before the election with a sense of momentum as polls showed a neck-and-neck race between Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams before the Republican scored his narrow victory.

Now, Democrats are entering the last hours of the rematch on edge. Kemp has a solid lead in most public polls, as do down-ticket Republican contenders. The closest race is between Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker, which could wind up in a December runoff if no one gets a majority of the votes.

Here’s what to watch on Election Day:

SPLIT THE TICKET. Georgia voters rarely split their tickets in marquee races. But polls all year have indicated that a small but significant number of Republicans who back Kemp and other GOP candidates are withholding their support from Walker.

Senior GOP strategists worry those crossover voters could send the race into overtime despite a political climate that’s favorable to Republicans. In interviews, some say they’re worried about Walker’s history of violent behavior and fitness for office.