Voters go to the polls today in Georgia Senate runoff that could have ramifications beyond DC

Outcome will determine who controls the Senate and ultimately to what extent Democrats influence U.S. foreign policy

After a presidential election that was fraught with allegations of fraud and sharp political divisions, Georgians go to the polls today for a runoff Senate race which will decide which party will control the Senate.

Republicans Sen. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are hoping for reelection and to maintain control of the Senate. If both of the Democrats, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, win their Senate races, the party would control the White House, House of Representatives and the Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris getting the tie-breaking vote.

Currently, Republicans hold 50 seats in the Senate.

President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden both attended rallies in Georgia yesterday to campaign for their parties’ candidates in a state that has long been a Republican stronghold, but this year has become a premier battleground.

Biden won Georgia’s 16 electoral votes by about 12,000 votes out of 5 million in the November elections.

The shakeup in U.S. could dramatically influence American policy in the Middle East. For one, Biden has already said he would return the United States to the Iran nuclear deal. Former President Barack Obama brokered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal in 2018 and instead started placing crippling sanctions on Iran.

If a glance at his staff picks are any indication, another change expected under Biden will be a return to the old approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians have been waiting a change in leadership in D.C. Under four years of Trump, Israel enjoyed several favorable decisions such as the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem. Israel also signed four peace agreements with Muslim countries brokered by the Trump administration.

The voter turnout for the Senate elections is expected to be high and more than 3 million ballots have already been cast in early voting.

Both Democrats were leading in the polls prior to the runoff.