On Tuesday (January 5) Georgia will hold two runoff elections for critical seats in the US Senate. The races, garnering the attention of national media outlets, will determine the control of the Senate, and presumably President-elect Joe Biden’s ability to pass legislative measures during his administration.
Biden made history in Georgia, flipping the state blue after nearly 30 years of Republican domination. The feat marks a victory for on-the-ground local and state organizers whose decades-long work delivered the mobilization of millions of new voters in the state.
Republican incumbent Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are fighting to keep their seats against Democratic opponents Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, respectively.
The runoffs were scheduled after none of the candidates pulled out 51% of the vote on Election Day. The two races’ top candidates qualified for the runoffs and intensified campaigning efforts almost immediately after polls closed on November 3, 2020.
A record $500 million has been spent by both parties on the races since November, according to a report by NPR.
At the end of the early voting period on December 31, 2020, over 2.8 million votes had cast their ballots in the races, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The races have remained of critical importance even after Biden’s presidential victory as the nation looks to a new administration to navigate us out of the coronavirus pandemic, roll out the COVID-19 vaccines and help American households economically devastated last year.
If Democrats pull out two wins in Georgia’s races, the party will have Senate control, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris overseeing the legislative branch chamber.
Georgia voters will have 12 hours starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday (January 5) to cast their ballots in person. Absentee ballots can be placed in official drop box locations in local election precincts.
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