Why two seats in Georgia are so important

More than 3 million people have already voted at the start of the two Senate races in the US state of Georgia. A historically high turnout in Senate elections, but these elections will determine whether Democrats or Republicans will be in charge of the upper house of Congress for years to come. Today, the rest of the voters can go to the polls.

Although Democratic candidates in the polls on a slight advance elections are by no means an ongoing race.

Crucial seats

Of the 100 Senate seats, only Georgia’s two seats have yet to be filled. None of the candidates got more than 50% of the vote last November and so there are now so-called runoffelections. So far, Republicans hold half the seats and Democrats 48.

Democrats must therefore win both seats in Georgia to also get 50 seats. If the two parties have the same number of seats, the vice-president will be decisive if the number of votes is equal. So it would be Democrat Kamala Harris from January 20. If Democrats win one or none of the seats, Republicans will retain a majority in the Senate and may block many policies of newly elected President Biden.

Campaign

President Trump and Biden put their weight in the fight last night to recommend their parties’ candidates at the last minute. Biden closed his campaign meeting at Georgia State University with the call, “Vote! Vote! Vote!”

Trump reiterated at a rally in rural Georgia that he believes the presidential election was not fair. He called the Georgian minister responsible for overseeing fair elections “crazy”. Last weekend he also put the same minister in an hour-long phone conversation under pressure to search for additional voices.