What is so special about the Georgia elections?

Uh @Dutchess_III and I am not even an American , but control of the senate comes to mind.Not counting early voting I would think the end of election day Jan05,21.

But why just Georgia?

It was too close in Georgia so they had to have a run off and it happens these two seats will decide who controls the Senate.

As Squeeky says, the outcome of the Georgia runoff will determine control of the Senate and the greatest possible present—the end of the country’s other plague—the reign of (Moscow) Mitch McConnell. The elimination of both the fool and the demon is almost too wonderful a prospect to entertain. I’m terrified such thoughts might jinx such atypical good fortune.

As they ^^^ said, because Georgia isn’t finished with this year’s election. They have two Senate seats open (most of the time it’s only one at a time), and the Senate is currently at 50 R – 48 D. If the Democrats pick up those two seats, it’ll be a 50–50 split, with the (incoming Democratic) VP the tie-vote breaker. So it’s a big, big deal.

It also happens to be the case that Georgia was one of the states in heavy contention for the presidential election and one of those that Trump has tried and is still trying to overturn. He held a “victory rally” there on Dec. 5th, nominally to support the two Republican candidates for the Senate but mostly (of course) to rant about himself.

Stacey Abrams, who was defeated for governor, was by all accounts a powerful influence in swinging Georgia for Biden. We’ll be hearing more of her.

Thanks. Especially thank you @Jeruba.
Is there some place where we can see the results so far?

I’d say try an Atlanta newspaper or TV station’s website or else a Georgia .gov election page. I’m sure you can find something if you go looking.

It’s also going to get plenty of national coverage because it will literally (a word I don’t use lightly) determine the direction and functionality/dysfunctionality of the country for the next very difficult period. So just go wherever you go for news.

You need not worry about missing the news to either the run up to or the runoff itself. Even the plague will be taking a back seat newswise.

@Dutchess_III I’m sure they won’t publish the ongoing results before the election is over but I know the registration and turn-out have been very high.

@stanleybmanly Clearly Dutch has missed the news on this since it’s been all over already.

In Georgia, a candidate has to have 50% plus 1 vote to win. In the November election, the candidates split without about 48–49% each and a few 3rd party candidates took the remaining percent or two. This happens fairly frequently in Georgia – unlike most states, it is not “most votes wins” – rather it is 50% + 1 vote.

Why is it important? If both democrats win, that is a 50–50 split in the Senate, and Harris will end up casting the deciding vote. If the Repos win either of the two seats, then the Senate is split from the house.

What pisses Trump off is that neither of the republican candidates cheated well enough to win in November.

@Dutchess_III they have not announced any results so far. But they did say that more than a million people have voted in the pre-voting period. (I did last week).

And, one wonders, if there’s a 50–50 split and everything is strictly a party-line vote, why do we need 100 senators when having one Republican and one Democrat would produce the same result?

And, for that matter, zero from each party, with the VP deciding, would also have the same effect.

Time to rethink this a little bit?

@elbanditoroso Why would it be Harris with the deciding vote as trump and pence would still be holding office at the time of the vote?

I meant after January 20, if there is a 50–50 tie, Harris would break it. Before January 20, still Pence

@chyna, this refers to future votes (on any matter) in the Senate once the newly elected officeholders are seated.

A week later:

Maybe I’m slow (and I don’t do Twitter or Facebook, so I don’t know what the scuttlebutt is), but I can see that one effect of the challenge to Georgia’s presidential results from November (two months ago today! and still being fought over) will be to cast doubt on the Senate results for Georgia on January 5th. It may even be a bargaining chip: the Senate seats for the electoral votes.

We won’t outlive the damage and shame of this entire sordid debacle in my lifetime or yours. I wonder what flag your great-grandchildren will be saluting.

WOW!! Scary image there @Jeruba .
What scares the crap out of me is how close Canada is to you guys.

I don’t blame you, @SQUEEKY2. I’ve always thought the proximity was an excellent thing for both sides, but now I’m thinking you guys ought to demand six feet of separation along the entire border as a down payment on an effective political quarantine. Sell the 5,525-mile, six-foot-wide ribbon to somebody like, oh, let’s say, the Netherlands or Vanuatu and let them arbitrate border crossings.

Squeek knows that like it or not, we’re joined at the hip. God help him if our infection (and I don’t mean covid) spreads.