Georgia Senate Runoffs Shatter Record With Over 2.56 Million Early Votes Cast

#Georgia’s #Senate runoff elections for two seats have already seen more than 2.56 million early voters, breaking the previous record for the number of voters in a runoff in the state.

The crucial elections will decide control of the U.S. #Senate. #High-profile politicians are expected to stump in #Georgia on behalf of their party’s candidates before the election. #President #Donald #Trump is slated to appear at a campaign event in #Valdosta, #Georgia on #Monday for incumbent #Republican #Georgia #Senators #Kelly #Loeffler and #David #Perdue. #On the same day, #President-elect #Joe #Biden is scheduled to appear in #Atlanta at a rally for #Democrats #Jon #Ossoff and #Reverend #Raphael #Warnock.

#According to the U.S. #Election #Project, early voters have cast 2,566,332 ballots in the #Senate election as of #December 30. The previous record vote for a run-off #Senate election in #Georgia was 2,137,956 ballots, set in the 2008 election between #Republican #Saxby #Chambliss and #Democrat #Jim #Martin.

#Biden previously visited #Georgia on behalf of #Ossoff and #Warnock in #December, telling a campaign event crowd that it was critical for the #Democrats to get elected. “#We can get so much done,” #Biden said, “so much that can make the lives of the people of #Georgia and the whole country so much better. #And we need senators who are willing to do it, for #God’s sake.”

#Both #Ossoff and #Warnock need to win the #January elections for #Democrats to gain control of the #Senate. A #Democrat sweep in #Georgia would evenly divide the #Senate between #Republicans and #Democrats. #Vice #President-elect #Kamala #Harris would then cast the tie-breaking vote. #Republicans only need to win one #Senate seat to retain a #Senate majority.

#Trump has been critical of #Georgia’s election process, baselessly claiming that widespread voter fraud helped #Biden to win the state. #While appearing on behalf of #Loeffler and #Perdue at a #December rally, #Trump warned attendees that #Democrats were also attempting to manipulate the #Senate election.

“#And now [Democrats are] trying to steal these two important #Senate seats from #Georgia,” #Trump said. “These seats are the last line of defense to save #America and protect all that we have accomplished. #And we’ve accomplished things that no other president has accomplished, no other administration.”

#Polling averages from #FiveThirtyEight indicate that #Tuesday’s election could be a close one.

#As of #December 30, #Ossoff was one point ahead of #Perdue. #Ossoff garnered 48.5 percent of support to the incumbent’s 47.5 percent. The gap was wider in the race between #Warnock and #Loeffler. The #Republican held 47.3 percent in the averaged polls, but #Warnock was ahead of #Loeffler by 1.9 percent.

#Loeffler has attempted to paint #Warnock as a “radical” and warned voters that both #Warnock and #Ossoff could imbue the U.S. #Senate with socialist ideologies.

“#If we don’t hold the line here in #Georgia,” #Loeffler told #Fox #News on #Tuesday, “we won’t just lose two #Senate seats. #We can lose the country to socialism.”

#Newsweek reached out to the #Georgia GOP and the #Democratic #Party of #Georgia for comment.