There were record-breaking number of voters who came out to the polls in Polk County on Tuesday, and they are being asked to make at least one more trip to decide on a local-level seat, and another when full results from the state come back on the senate seats up for grabs in Georgia.

One of those votes will be coming up on December 1 – early voting ahead of the election still to be determined – and then another will likely come in early January to determine at least one if not both of the U.S. Senate seats up for grabs this year, thanks to no candidates gaining a majority so far.

Locally, that means that the County Commission District 2 special election to determine who gets to serve out the rest of the term is going to a run off, featuring the incumbent Linda Liles, and Ricky Clark.

Liles in a statement said she was ready to continue the campaign to keep her seat after she was appointed to serve by her fellow Commissioners back in April.

“I want to thank everyone for going out to vote on Tuesday, and to all my supporters for the trust their vote represents. This race is not yet won, and I need everyone in Polk County who wants responsible, experience leadership to stay on the Polk County Commission to come out on December 1 and vote for me again,” she said. “I want to also show my gratitude and respect for the candidates who stepped up as challengers in this year’s race for the District 2 seat for respecting our citizens and keeping this election a clean campaign. I look forward to the challenge from Mr. Clark in the upcoming run-off at the beginning of December and encourage everyone to come out and vote one more time.”

Glenn Robinson, seeking the District 2 seat a second time after he sought to win the GOP primary against Chuck Thaxton back in June, said in a Facebook post following Election Day that he wished the results had been different, but thanked the voters who cast their ballot for him for their support.

“I just want to say thank you to all who supported my election hopes. If you have not heard the news we did not make the run-offs. I am disappointed in many ways but so thankful to be blessed with so many friends both old and new,” he said in the online posting. “You have been very supportive and I thank each and everyone of you. I have no regrets and I am honored to have represented you. Once COVID is over I plan to start my travels again and continue working the farm. Thank you again and may God bless you and your families.”

Jody Bentley Smith was sought for comment but has yet to respond. She did post on her Facebook page that the election didn’t go how she hoped, but thanked suppoters.

“Thank you all who voted for me, called and text. Your support has meant so much to me!!” she wrote.

The five-candidate race now moves to two in the run-off between Liles and Clark. Liles took a majority of the ballots on Tuesday night, but not enough to gain a 50% + 1 win over the rest of the field.

The final tallies reported on Tuesday at the Board of Elections were 5,893 ballots for Liles, 3,411 for Clark, 2,782 for Robinson, 2,497 for Smith, and 760 for Chris Roberson.

Details were still being worked out for the run off coming up and whether it will be held in conjunction with a statewide effort. Check back for further details on the runoff in the days to come.

A second runoff may be possible in early January to determine the race between U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler and Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock for her senate seat, and the numbers continued to narrow toward U.S. Senator David Perdue having to face a runoff against Jon Ossoff with the ballots still out in a handful of counties in Georgia.