Most 6th District polls closing: This expert says one candidate might be hurt more if rain dampens turnout

The link to tonight's election night results will be available by clicking this link for ajc.com or on the Georgia Secretary of State's website at www.sos.ga.gov.

ORIGINAL POST: Polls are set to close in an hour in Georgia's rain-lashed 6th Congressional District, where the campaigns of both Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff are making a final push to get voters to the polls by the 7 p.m. closing time.

While rain typically dampens Election Day turnout, this runoff election has been anything but typical: Elections officials are continuing to report a slow but steady turnout.

GOP strategist Chip Lake said that’s good news for the Handel campaign, which otherwise could be hurt the most by the weather.

In April, Ossoff won more of the early vote — and finished first overall with 48 percent of the vote — but Handel is seen as having won more of her votes on Election Day.

That same pattern is believed to have held true in Round 2, Lake said: Early voting in the runoff ended Friday with more than 140,300 votes cast, with Ossoff likely to have had six- to eight-point margin among early voters.

Handel would have hoped to make up the difference today, rain or no rain.

“If you’re Karen Handel, you want as many people voting on Election Day,” said Lake, adding that Handel’s margin over Ossoff among people voting today could be as high as 20 points -- assuming they come out to cast a ballot.