Today is the day, January 5, 2021, that the runoff election in Georgia takes place.
Currently, the Senate republicans take lead by 2; however, with a democrat victory in the deeply rooted red state, Senate will split 50-50 with Kamala Harris tipping the scale as Vice President.
That would ensure a unified Congress and Administration, allowing legislation to pass easier for Democrats and providing headaches for Republican senators.
In the latest polls, Perdue, Ossoff, Loeffler, and Warnock are quintessentially tied as the +/- overlaps for each candidate. Latest Polls Of The Georgia Senate Runoff Elections | FiveThirtyEight
Meanwhile, as 3 million and counting Georgians cast their vote, the current Administration adamantly tries to warn the public of a nonexistent threat. Election fraud will only occur if the current administration keeps up their rhetoric. The polls are accounted for after the multiple trials, and express accurate data.
“I strongly beg and encourage you, go out tomorrow and participate. Do not self-suppress your own vote.”
Gabe Sterling, Georgia Election Official – Quoted form New York Post January 5, 2021
Sterling’s words ring loud and true. Especially college students of Georgia should not veer off the path of voting. Polls open EST today 7am-7pm and polling locations found through vote.org.
Nonetheless, the controversy of this election comes form the outside money pouring into the state. Everyone and their brother encourages donations to fuel advertisements for each candidate. Specifically, this point applies to Ossoff and Warnock who managed to raise over one hundred million dollars for this Senate race in the last two months. Out of that one hundred million, a substantive amount of funds came from outside parties in New York and California.
A point made details the lack of connectedness these outsiders have in Georgia. People view the contributions from outside parties as their will imposed on others. Nonetheless, the counterargument points that contributions are used by candidates as they see fit. So, if the candidate running for the people, by the people decides the best way to mobilize is through costly advertisements, then the money is put to ethical use.
Either way, the contest does not extend just to senate campaigns but to the people. The election will extend most likely for days, if not weeks, and with that discontent and agitation. It’s brewing in households throughout the nation as we speak,
for the tight race’s result will ensure almost 50% of the people will be discontent.
With that, possibility for respite of election results and a growing distrust of the electoral process.
See, of course the concern of who wins the election is paramount. However, the consequences of such a tight election at this time causes more concern. The 2020 election is refuted 2 months post-election by Republican Senators (although at this time most have agreed to the results). So, the implications of a slight majority win’s beliefs onto the general public will only gift more ammunition to those who feel cheated by the election process.
History does repeat itself. That’s for sure. Wars, unrest, distrust, polarization, and brash words all compile to be the beginnings of an interesting 2021 political year.