Two pivotal U.S. Senate runoff elections in the Southern state of Georgia were too close to call Tuesday night.The outcomes of the closely watched contests will determine political control in the Senate during the first two years of President-elect Joe Biden’s term in the White House. But with roughly 98% of the vote counted in the two contests, no one was claiming victory or conceding defeat, although the votes left to be counted appeared to be in regions of the state with a heavy Democratic voter turnout. In one contest, Republican Sen. David Perdue, seeking a second six-year term in office, held a slim edge over Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer. In the other election, a Democrat, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Baptist minister, pulled ahead of Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, one of the wealthiest lawmakers in Congress. The vote counts were fluctuating throughout the evening, with the Democrats faring well when the votes were counted in the state’s major cities and the Republicans making substantial gains in smaller communities and rural areas.Currently, Republicans control the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the two Georgia contests to maintain their advantage and act as a bulwark against Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20. WATCH: VOA Reports from GeorgiaSorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
A voter casts a ballot during Georgia’s Senate runoff elections, in Atlanta, Jan. 5, 2021.That was the scenario that played out in November in Georgia and across the country when substantially more Democrats voted early, while more Republicans voted in person on the actual election day. Because the advance votes take longer to count, Trump appeared to be ahead in Georgia on election night before Biden pulled ahead and won the state. An initial vote count and two recounts confirmed Biden’s narrow edge in the state.Both Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters.“The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.”He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said.Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.”“The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.” Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 4 MB480p | 6 MB540p | 7 MB720p | 14 MB1080p | 32 MBOriginal | 46 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioMonday ralliesBoth Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters. “The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.” He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said. Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.” “The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.”
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