By Naadiya Adams

The power of the US Congress hangs in the balance as voters in the southern state of Georgia head to the polls on Tuesday. A staggering three million plus people have already voted early, but results are not expected for several days according to election officials.

The outcome of this election will assist in determining President elect Joe Biden’s extent of power within the Senate.

Biden’s plans for healthcare, environmental protection and civil rights do not bode well with the Republicans but some fear undermining the integrity of the nation’s voting systems may dishearten voters in Georgia.

On the eve of Tuesday’s runoffs in northwest Georgia, Trump again baselessly claimed the November elections were plagued by fraud. Claims that Republican officials, including his former attorney general and Georgia’s elections chief, say did not occur.

The president called Georgia’s Republican secretary of state “crazy” and pledged to help defeat him in two years.

To gain the Senate majority Democrats must win both of the state’s Senate elections. In that case, the Senate would be equally divided 50-50 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaker for Democrats.

During November’s general election the Democrats  had already secured a narrow House majority and the White House.

Whether the sweeping political coalition that fuelled Biden’s victory was an anti-Trump anomaly or part of a new landscape, only time will tell.

Out of five million votes cast in November in Georgia, Biden won by a narrow 12000.

Driving various groups such African Americans, young voters, college-educated voters and women are key to Democratic success – all groups that helped Biden become Georgia’s first Democratic presidential candidate since 1992.

This month’s election in Georgia is necessary as no Senate candidates received a majority of the general-election votes. They have also been unique for many reasons, the contenders essentially ran as teams, even campaigning together sometimes.