Ga. Senate runoff live updates: Warnock celebrates win, Walker admits defeat

Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for the Georgia secretary of state's office, said in a news conference on Tuesday evening that it looked like Georgia had 1.4 million people cast their votes on Election Day.

"This was the most in-person voting we've had since the launch of the new system," Sterling said. "It looks like we probably beat the Election Day vote of November 2022, which was the highest. And we know it was more than November 2020, and it was more than the runoff in 2021."

"We have record turnout across the board," Sterling added. "We had record turnout for a runoff in a midterm. We had record turnout for early voting. We had a record use of absentee ballots. This system in place allows voters ease of use, their choice of freestyle voting and essentially, on Election Day, no lines."

Before Tuesday, nearly 1.9 million Georgians had already voted early or cast an absentee ballot last week.

If Warnock keeps his spot in the Senate, that means a 51-seat majority for Democrats after their other wins in the midterms, which would make governing much easier than the current 50-50 split.

That includes confirming judges -- one of the few things that can be done in the Senate with a simple majority. With a Supreme Court dominated by Republican-nominated justices, Democrats have been eager to fill the lower courts with more liberal justices. A 51-seat majority could allow Democrats to move judges through the Senate confirmation process even faster, leaving them with more floor time to work on even more nominees or on other pieces of legislation they want to bring to a vote.

When it comes to legislation, Democrats would have the upper hand moving any of their legislation out of committee and to the floor for a vote with a 51-seat Senate. It would also give Democrats more breathing room when it comes to passing legislation by curtailing the influence of a single dissenting senator.

Additionally, Democrats would have a bit more security if a Supreme Court vacancy should open in the next two years.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

If Republican challenger Walker wins the Senate seat, the chamber would stay in its current power-sharing agreement.

A 50-50 split has meant Democrats can't afford a single dissenter, leaving them with little breathing room in passing legislation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has had to constantly corral his caucus, which spans from conservative Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., all the way to progressive independents like Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. That dynamic would continue should Walker win the seat.

The split also slows the process for procedures like moving judicial nominees out of committee for a full vote. Republicans can block Biden nominees in the Judiciary Committee, forcing an additional vote on the Senate floor.

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott has alluded to that in pitching Walker to voters, saying he could help "block" the Democratic majoriry.-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Polls closed at 7 p.m. ET in the Georgia Senate runoff race.

State officials said Tuesday they anticipate record turnout for a midterm runoff, with more than 1.4 million votes possibly cast on Election Day, on top of the nearly 1.9 million early votes.