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Democrats holding lead over GOP candidates in Senate runoffs

But, the races are still anyone's to win.

ATLANTA — With the Jan. 5 runoff races now just a little more than a two weeks away, a final SurveyUSA Poll commissioned exclusively by 11Alive shows that Democratic candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are still holding onto their leads over Republican incumbents Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. 

But, thanks to contributing factors like caustic rhetoric on the integrity of the election system, the races are still anyone's to win.

According to the data, Ossoff has managed to widen his lead over Perdue since 11Alive's last poll on the Senate runoff, conducted a little over two weeks ago. Ossoff now leads Perdue 51% to 46% among those polled - up from his 50-to-48% lead.

RELATED: Poll shows Georgia Republicans increasingly see election as rigged, less likely to vote in Senate runoffs

Meanwhile, in the other runoff race, Warnock's lead over Loeffler remains unchanged from two weeks ago; he still holds a 52-to-45% lead. Both polls are within the margin of error, though.

At this moment, it appears both Democratic candidates may be benefitting from Republican infighting over who and what's to blame for President Trump's defeat in the Nov. 3 general election. Some in the GOP have laid blame at Republican leaders in Georgia and some extremist supporters of the president have suggested Republicans sit out the election.

Some Republican voters may be listening. According to the survey results, roughly 5% of the 690 registered voters are sitting out the election. More of those voters are Republican, with some believing either "the voting process is rigged" or that "their vote doesn't matter."

Overall, though, roughly 70% of voters say they have full or some confidence that the runoff election will be handled properly, and approve of the job the Secretary of State's office has done thus far.

Here's a full breakdown of the results.

Are you registered to vote in the state of Georgia? (Credibility Interval: ± 3 percentage points)

86%    Yes

11%    No

3%    Not Sure

In January, Georgia will hold a runoff election for two United States Senate seats. Not everyone makes time to vote in a runoff. Which best describes you? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

5%    Will Not Vote 

7%    Not Sure Whether Will Or Won't Vote

10%    Almost Certain

52%    Certain

25%    Already Voted

2%    Not Sure

Asked of 78 Registered Voters who are not likely to vote in the runoff: Which of these best describes why you are not voting in the runoff? (Credibility Interval: ± 12.8 percentage points)

14%    Aren't That Interested

18%    Don't Have Time

10%    Don't Believe Your Vote Matters

16%    Don't Like The Candidates

20%    The Voting Process Is Rigged

3%    Intentionally Boycotting The Runoff

8%    Other Reason

11%    Not Sure

Asked of 39 who say their vote doesn't matter, process rigged, or they are boycotting: We understand you aren't voting in the runoff. But just so we have a better sense of who is not voting, if you did vote in the runoff between Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff, who would you vote for? (Credibility Interval for this question = ± 16.1 percentage points)

45%    David Perdue (R)

34%    Jon Ossoff (D)

21%    Undecided

Asked of 39 who say their vote doesn't matter, process rigged, or they are boycotting: And if you did vote in the runoff between Republican Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock, who would you vote for? (Credibility Interval: ± 16.1 percentage points)

38%    Kelly Loeffler (R)

31%    Raphael Warnock (D)

31%    Undecided 

In the runoff election, how will you vote? (Credibility Interval: ± 5.1 percentage points)

32%    By Mail

42%    In Person Before Election Day

25%    In Person On Election Day

1%    Not Sure

On the ballot in January is a regular runoff and a special runoff. In the regular runoff for United States Senate how do you vote? (Credibility Interval: ± 5.1 percentage points)

46%    David Perdue (R)

51%    Jon Ossoff (D)

3%    Undecided

In the special runoff for United States Senate, how do you vote? (Credibility Interval: ± 5.1 percentage points)

45%    Kelly Loeffler (R)

52%    Raphael Warnock (D)

3%    Undecided 

Should voters who vote by mail in the runoff election be required to submit a copy of their ID? Or not? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.4 percentage points)

67%    Required To Submit ID

23%    Not Required

10%    Not Sure

Do you approve? ... Or disapprove? ... Of the job Brian Kemp is doing as Governor? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

12%    Strongly Approve

33%    Approve

26%    Disapprove

19%    Strongly Disapprove

10%    Not Sure

Do you approve? ... Or disapprove? ... Of the job Brad Raffensperger is doing as Secretary of State? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

12%    Strongly Approve

27%    Approve

21%    Disapprove

11%    Strongly Disapprove

30%    Not Sure

Do you approve? ... Or disapprove? ... Of the job Gabriel Sterling is doing as Voting Systems Manager in the Secretary of State's office? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

10%    Strongly Approve

24%    Approve

19%    Disapprove

10%    Strongly Disapprove

37%    Not Sure

How much confidence do you that votes in the January runoff election will be counted accurately? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

40%    Full Confidence

27%    Some Confidence

18%    Little Confidence

11%    No Confidence 

3%    Not Sure

Both houses of the United States Congress will meet together to count the electoral votes on January 6, 2021. Should President Trump ask Republican members of Congress to object to the electoral votes from states where President Trump has been contesting the election results? Or should President Trump ask Republican members of Congress to allow the count to proceed without objection? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

32%    Ask Members To Object

51%    Ask Members To Allow Count To Proceed

17%    Not Sure

Thinking about the entire United States, nationwide ... Do you, personally, think Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential election fair and square? Or Donald Trump won the 2020 Presidential election but votes were lost or changed to make it look like Trump lost? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.6 percentage points)

56%    Biden Won Fair And Square

37%    Trump Won Votes Lost/changed

6%    Not Sure

If Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20 as President of the United States, will you wholeheartedly accept Biden as the new president? Reluctantly accept Biden as President? Or reject Biden as an illegitmate President? (Credibility Interval: ± 4.7 percentage points)

53%    Wholeheartedly Accept

24%    Reluctantly Accept

19%    Reject

4%    Not Sure

Methodology: The poll involved online interviews of 800 voting-age adults representative of Georgia's electorate between Dec. 16 and Dec. 20. Of those, 691 are registered to vote and 600 were determined to be likely to vote in the Jan. 5 runoffs.

The pool was weighted to U.S. Census targets for gender, age, race, education, home-ownership, and political party identification. 

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