Although it may seem that election season is over, there is still one more key race.
Georgia will be holding runoff elections for the senate on Jan. 5. A runoff election is held whenever neither candidate gets the required majority of votes. Georgia is one of 12 states that holds runoff elections.
Runoffs in Georgia were created in 1960 as a means of maintaining white political power in the peak era of segregation. This approach made it less likely for senate seats to go to black candidates since legislators knew voter turnout would fall for a non-general election.
This election is of interest to many since it will determine which way the senate swings. If Democrat Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock win, the Democrats would take control of the senate. This makes it easier for President-elect Joe Biden to carry out policy plans.
Both candidates would need to win in order for a 50-50 tie in the senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Republicans only need one Georgia candidate to win their race to maintain control.
According to the New York Times, Ossoff trails Perdue by just 47.9 percent to 49.7 percent. One candidate must hit 50 percent in order for an elect to be declared.
The current Republican incumbents running are Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Loeffler was appointed to replace prior Senator Johnny Isakson after he retired due to health issues. Her election will determine if she will finish the remainder of the term until 2022, which differs from Perdue’s. He is just running for reelection and has held this position since 2014.
Early voting will be held for the three weeks leading up to the election. While voter turnout was wildly high for the presidential election, experts worry that since a runoff isn’t as advertised, participation will be low. That’s why candidates are heavily fundraising to keep the conversation alive regarding the race.
Non-profit organizations like Vote America and Rock the Vote are using their resources to involve the entire country in this election. Those who don’t live in Georgia who want to volunteer are making phone calls to residents to remind them to vote. Often, black voters are less likely to vote in non-general elections. Candidates will likely spend their resources targeting them to ensure they vote.
Additionally, Republican and Democrat officials will be making trips to Georgia over the next two months in attempts to sway voters. Vice President Mike Pence will be speaking next week.
Biden won Georgia in the general election, so predicting the outcome of the runoff is challenging. This year’s voter mobilization has been extraordinary as a result of social media prompting mass civic engagement. Only time will tell how this movement will play out in terms of the number of voters in January.
Democrats maintained their majority in the house. The results from the Georgia runoff will determine if they also get control of the senate, or if the Republicans’ control will prevail.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/politics/georgia-senate-runoff-explainer.html