Early voting begins in Georgia, with control of US Senate at stake
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Georgia Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock speaking during a campaign event in Atlanta on Monday. Democrats face an uphill battle as they would need to win both Senate seats to control the chamber.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
MARIETTA • Hundreds of people lined up in the cold rain on Monday to cast ballots in a pair of United States Senate races in Georgia that will determine control of the chamber and influence Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's ability to enact his agenda.
The southern state, dominated by Republicans for decades, is now one of the most competitive US political battlegrounds after Mr Biden's narrow victory in the Nov 3 presidential election.
President Donald Trump and other top Republicans have campaigned to try to help incumbent Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win in the Jan 5 polls, while Democrats have spent millions to back challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Election experts said turnout on the first day of early voting could offer clues as to which side ultimately prevails. Civil rights monitors said they had received no reports of voting problems.
The races will determine control of the Senate, and Democrats face an uphill battle as they would need to win both seats to control the chamber and use that power to help advance Mr Biden's priorities.
Republicans, meanwhile, are warning voters that Mr Trump's policies are on the line.
Mr Biden's narrow victory has buoyed Democratic hopes of another win, aided by aggressive Democratic voter registration drives and demographic trends that have nudged the electorate away from Republicans.
Mr Perdue finished just ahead of Mr Ossoff last month, while not quite getting the 50 per cent needed for a victory under Georgia law. In the other race, neither Mr Warnock nor Ms Loeffler reached the 50 per cent threshold in a field that included several other challengers.
Democratic activist Stacey Abrams, who lost a race for Georgia governor in 2018, told CNN that 1.2 million absentee ballots have been requested thus far, with 85,000 of those coming from people who did not vote in the general election, and they are disproportionately young and people of colour.
Democrats are depending on voters of colour, young people and college-educated whites to turn out for them in urban and suburban communities, while Republicans need Trump supporters in outlying areas of the state.
REUTERS
