Runoff Appearing More Likely In GA Governor's Race

WASHINGTON, DC — A new NBC News/Marist poll shows the nation's most watched governor's race is essentially tied, with neither Brian Kemp or Stacey Abrams polling over 50 percent. In a head-to-head contest among registered voters in Georgia, both Abrams and Kemp receive 47 percent support. Among likely voters, Kemp gets 49 percent to Abrams’ 47 percent, but that result is within the poll’s margin of error. When libertarian Ted Metz is included on the ballot, Kemp’s lead shrinks to 1 point among likely voters.

Oct. 9 was the last day to register to vote in next month's election, but early in-person and advance voting has been going on since Oct. 15 and will last though Nov. 2, the Friday before Election Day. If neither Kemp or Abrams tops 50 percent on Nov. 6, they will face each other in a Dec. 4 runoff.

Abrams is hoping to become the nation's first African-American female governor in history, while Kemp is aiming to maintain GOP control of the governorship his party has enjoyed since 2002, as well as continue the party's dominance of every statewide elected office and a majority GOP congressional delegation.

Abrams and Kemp met for their first televised statewide debate Tuesday night after both campaigns experienced some of their most eventful 24 hours before their 7 pm meeting. First, Abrams admitted to burning Georgia's then-state flag in a 1992 protest on the steps of the state capitol, after videos emerged on several social media outlets. Abrams burned the flag as a symbol of her opposition to Confederate symbolism.

Later on Tuesday, a leaked audio recording sent to Rolling Stone, Kemp is heard expressing concerns over his opponent's voter turnout operation. Kemp was appearing at a ticketed campaign event last week at Buckhead's Blind Pig Parlour Bar, and said Abrams' absentee ballot turnout operation "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote -- which they absolutely can -- and mail those ballots in."

In the recording, Kemp said his campaign needs "heavy turnout to offset that."

Click here to read NBC's poll results.

Kemp, who is also Georgia's secretary of state, is under heavy fire for his office's alleged attempts at voter suppression. The Coalition for Good Governance is Kemp, as well as state and Gwinnett County elections officials, over how mail-in absentee ballots are handled. The coalition, made up of five Georgia voters, filed the lawsuit last week to halt the excessive rejection of mail ballots because of voters' errors and discrepancies on mail ballot paperwork.

SEE ALSO: Group Suing Kemp, Gwinnett Elections Board Over Ballot Rejections

"Thousands of voters have been rejected by these unfair and unconstitutional practices in recent elections. We are asking the Court to intervene to stop these unjust actions in advance of the November election. Certain Georgia laws and policies prevent the counting of valid ballots cast by eligible voters merely trying to exercise their right to vote," said Marilyn Marks, executive director of Coalition for Good Governance.

Kemp is countering those allegations with numbers that show Georgia has shattered its all-time voter registration record with more than 7,000,000 active and inactive voters on the rolls.

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More Election Coverage From Patch

• Kemp, Abrams Debate In Nation's Most Watched Governor's Race
• Two Weeks From Election, Abrams Under Fire For Flag Burning
• Kemp: Abrams' Voter Turnout Effort Worrisome "If Everybody Votes"