The Latest: Jesse Jackson says John Lewis speaks from grave

ATLANTA (AP) — The Latest on the election in Georgia:

9:15

Georgia’s top elections official says fewer than 8,200 absentee ballots remain to be tallied as the counting continues.

The largest batch of these are in the Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County, with about 4,800 still to count. About 8,900 unreturned ballots that were sent to military and citizens overseas could be tallied as well if they arrive by 5 p.m. on Friday.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s statement says strong security protocols are making sure that “the voice of every eligible voter is heard.” He says “It’s important to act quickly, but it’s more important to get it right.”

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ELECTION IN GEORGIA:

Joe Biden took the lead over President Donald Trump in Georgia early Friday as vote counting continued, with little more than 900 votes separating the candidates after about five million votes were cast in the state.

The Associated Press has not declared a winner in Georgia because the race between the Republican president and the Democratic nominee remains too early to call.

Read more:

— EXPLAINER: Why the AP hasn’t called Georgia’s close race

— Twin Senate runoffs in Georgia could shape Biden presidency

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:

8:30 a.m.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is celebrating the way Democrat Joe Biden overtook President Donald Trump in Georgia as vote counting continues.

Biden took the lead when results were updated early Friday by Clayton County. That’s partly in Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, long held by Democrat Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights leader who died in July.

Jackson says that result is due to decades of civil rights activism in Georgia, from Dr. Martin Luther King to Stacey Abrams, who worked hard to register new voters after her run for governor.

Jackson says the fact that the 5th District put Biden ahead in the vote count shows that King and Lewis “speak from their graves today. The heavenly hosts rejoice.”

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4:40 a.m.

Democrat Joe Biden is now leading President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia.

By Friday morning, Biden overtook Trump in the number of ballots counted in the battleground, a must-win state for Trump that has long been a Republican stronghold. Biden now has a 917-vote advantage.

The contest is still too early for The Associated Press to call. Thousands of ballots are still left to be counted — many in counties where the former vice president was in the lead.

An AP analysis showed that Biden’s vote margins grew as counties processed mail ballots cast in his favor.

There is a potential that the race could go to a recount. Under Georgia law, if the margin between Biden and Trump is under half a percentage point of difference, a recount can be requested.

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Find AP’s full election coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2020