Why does the election in Georgia matter so much?

The upper chamber of US Congress, the Senate, has been controlled by the Republican Party since 2014. It's very important in getting laws passed, Cabinet appointments confirmed and Supreme Court Justices on to the bench of the highest court. If Democrats win in Georgia, the extra two seats would give them effective control. Each party would have 50 senators and it's become increasingly rare for senators to vote against their party. Technically, there are currently 46 Democrats and two independent Senators - Bernie Sanders and Angus King - but they typically vote with Democrats. So in a 50-50 tie, Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris would have the deciding vote in her role as Senate president.

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