“GEORGIA…Georgia on my mind”…must have been the soundtrack of Tuesday, January 6, 2021 as American voters in this state have once again cast their solemn vote through ballots — either through mail-in or in-person at polling stations throughout the state.
WHY again, you’d ask, especially when President-elect Joe Biden is constitutionally bound to be sworn into office as the 46th president of the United States by noontime of January 20, 2021, after his historic win to be the candidate for President who has won the biggest number of popular votes in American history?
This is true as well for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — the first woman, and the first person of color to hold the second-highest position in the Executive Department — who could possibly be the first woman president in the future.
This is how The Washington Post explained it:
Ever since Trump lost to President-elect Biden, he has made repeated and false claims that widespread voter fraud cost him the presidency. Yet almost every single legal challenge filed on his behalf has been rejected by the courts, including the Supreme Court. His own attorney general said there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
Trump can count on about a dozen conservative senators, as well as scores of House Republicans, to press his case by objecting to the certification of results from some crucial battleground states.
Democrats, however, control the House, and are certain to reject any effort to overturn the outcome. Additionally, many Senate Republicans oppose the pro-Trump efforts.
That all but guarantees that after hours of debate, Congress will certify President-elect Biden’s victory, clearing the path for his inauguration Jan. 20.
Why does Georgia’s Senate runoff matter?
Georgia is on our mind NOT because it will give the outgoing President Donald J. Trump four more years as president to further shield him from all the legal woes he would be facing for all the alleged and reported criminal, civil, and political transgressions he has committed. No. Justice will prevail and he will be held accountable for all that he did and did not do according to the oath he took as president.
Whatever the outcome of this special election will NOT affect the certification of Electoral College results by Congress, no matter how hard the propaganda machinery has been trying to make supporters believe that the election victory was “stolen” from Trump.
Georgia is on our mind because the results of this special election will determine if the leadership of the Senate will go blue — ejecting Republican Mitch McConnell from his post as Senate Majority Leader and paving the way for a Chuck Schumer leadership.
Last November 3, none of the Senatorial candidates in Georgia garnered more than 50% of the vote. This forced dueling runoff races between the top two vote-getters in each contest, the Post reported.
So the American voters in Georgia will be casting their most consequential decision that will determine if President-elect Joe Biden will be able to smoothly put into action the changes he campaigned on to “restore the soul of America” and “build back better” from the rubbles and ashes of the failed Trump leadership.
Avid Trump supporter Republican David Perdue seeks a second term in office and is challenged by Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Separately, the Post reported that appointed GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler is running against Democrat Raphael Warnock to complete the remainder of retired Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.
What results are needed by both sides of the aisle to win? The Post explained: “Republicans need to win only one of the races to secure a narrow 51-49 majority. But if Democrats take both seats, the Senate would be divided 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris poised to cast tie-breaking votes once she takes office and assumes her duties as the Senate’s presiding officer.”
The Post further reported that the results of the elections will not change the “calculus in Congress when it comes to the Electoral College certification process.” This is because pursuant to quirks in Georgia election law, Perdue won’t be able to cast a vote Wednesday even if he wins.
“Perdue’s contest went to a Jan. 5 runoff that is being held after his term ended, he is not a senator right now. If he wins, he can retake his seat after the results of his election are certified later this month and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issues a certificate stating he won. Loeffler, on the other hand, is still a senator. Her appointment by Kemp remains in effect until the winner of the election is sworn in,” the Post explained.
In the days leading up to the January 5 election, the New York Times reported that about 3.1 million people have already voted in the run-off races, and this accounts for almost 40% of all registered voters in the state.
The Times reported that based on early voting data, the races are very competitive, meaning the state that used to be “red” may have already evolved to be purple, and even blue, with the Democrats having an even bigger share of the early voting electorate compared to their share in the November general elections. The question now is: Will the Republicans be more compelled and motivated to vote in person to beat the fire and enthusiasm of Democratic voters lead by Stacey Abrams who has been turning the tide in Georgia by mobilizing people of color to vote?
Despite the desperate efforts from Trump’s Republican minions in Congress who “pledged to undo Democrat Joe Biden’s victory by mounting a challenge to the election results during a joint session of Congress,” they will not be successful in subverting the will of the American people who decisively fired Trump and elected Biden to be president of the United States in the next four years.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2021 clear the path toward new hope and new beginnings to fulfill our shared goals of healing and unity for the greater good of the American people.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at [email protected], or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
