FOR RELEASE ON DECEMBER 21, 2020	Contact: Mike Shannon, Balanced Ballots Int.
	Phone: 312-399-2127
	Email: [email protected]

*AGAINST* VOTES WIDEN MARGIN BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN GEORGIA RUNOFFS

However, Democrats would not be able to claim majority “mandate”

  CHICAGO, IL December 21 —In a poll of registered voters performed exclusively by Voter Roll Call on behalf of Balanced Ballots Int’l and Negative Vote Association in the State of Georgia, results indicate the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff would gain a 5% net margin in the pivotal runoff contests to take place on January 5, 2021.   In this hypothetical tally, the impact of voters’ right to express disapproval would help boost both Democratic candidates. The Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff would best the incumbent David Perdue 25% to 20%, and Rev. Raphael Warnock would prevail over Kelly Loeffler by a margin of 24% to 20%. These percentages represent the likely net of the YES votes for and the NO votes against each candidate.   “These results are illuminating and demonstrate that election outcomes are more a function of voter options (or lack thereof) than the candidates themselves,” said Mike Shannon, a volunteer for Balanced Ballots Int’l.   “Whether the NO vote is in lieu of or in addition to the YES vote, the long-term effects are comparable. To prevail as a candidate, you’re not going to want to be a partisan firebrand,” he said, also noting that voters can already vote YES for or NO against judges. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”   Detailed crosstab results of the Voter Roll Call poll can be viewed here: http://www.voterrollcall.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=253b24f6-c72b-47f8-82bf-bdbf07d25b98   Summary charts are available on Page 2 of this Press Release   As part of the poll, Voter Roll Call also asked registered voters if the concept of voting directly against candidates appealed to them. 54% of 18-34 year-olds approved. Across all age groups and demographics, only 25% did not approve of the voting method, to which Mr. Shannon replied, “It is their fundamental human right to disapprove.”   Note: In the fall, Rand Corporation conducted a similar poll for the 2020 Presidential race in 12 swing states and found that, given the right to vote directly against a candidate, voter participation would have increased in those 12 swing states by approximately 3.4% (about one million more voters). Those results can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BalancedBallotAmerica/permalink/1057109768084203/   ###   Balanced Ballots, Int’l is a loosely affiliated group of global advocates for the rights of voters to express disapproval of their least-preferred candidate(s).   If you would like more information about this topic, please call Mike Shannon at 312-399-2127, or email [email protected]