The 2020 presidential election may have come to end, but the political advertisements are not over yet. Now, all eyes are on Georgia for the runoff election. 

   “This election is extremely interesting because the results will decide which party has control of the Senate. That is a lot of power. I envy everyone that will be old enough to vote,” Reese Blalock, junior, said. 

   Georgia has a unique requirement for a candidate to win the election: Candidates must receive a majority of the vote. In Georgia, no candidate broke 50%, so now voters have an opportunity to vote again on Jan. 5. In the November election, Jon Ossoff received 47.9% of the votes and David Perdue received 49.7% of the votes. For the second Senate chair, Raphael Warnock received 32.9% of the votes, and Kelly Loeffler received 25.9% of the votes. 

   “Runoff elections have a greatly reduced percentage of voter turnout because voters are less knowledgeable about the issues; however, it is just as important to vote in a runoff as it is a regular election, especially this one,” Maya Gibbins, senior, said. 

   In past years, the state of Georgia has traditionally elected Republican senators. With increased Democratic campaigning and higher levels of voter turnout, this is the first year that any Georgians suspect that a Democrat could win a seat in the Senate, which is what makes this election even more competitive. 

 “I am voting in the upcoming election because it is my first opportunity ever to use my voice and my vote. Your vote matters,” Nicole Pullen, senior, said. 

   Any citizen who will be eighteen by Jan. 5 can register to vote either online or by mail. The deadline to register is Dec. 7, and in person early voting begins Dec. 14. Visit https://georgia.gov/register-to-vote for more details on how to register today. 

   “I watch the news a lot and keep up with politics on social media. I also have friends that are interested in politics that I talk with a lot,” Walt Centers, senior, said. 

   Voting is an essential part of fulfilling the basic responsibilities of American citizenship. Those old enough to vote have the power to make change. Every vote matters. For those not eighteen by the election, each candidate has a campaign that anyone can volunteer with, and there are several voter protection and human rights organizations in Georgia looking for volunteers. Links to find out more information on how to be involved without voting can be found below. 

Jon Ossoff’s campaign: https://electjon.com/action/ 

David Perdue’s campaign: https://secure.winred.com/perdueforsenate 

Raphael Warnock’s campaign: https://warnockforgeorgia.com/ 

Kelly Loeffler’s campaign: https://kellyforsenate.com/ 

Fair Fight: https://fairfight.com/ 

Common Cause Georgia: https://www.commoncause.org/georgia/ 

Black Voters Matter: https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/ 

New Georgia Project: https://newgeorgiaproject.org/ 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/ 

ProGeorgia State Table: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/progeorgia-state-table-1