WASHINGTON — Later today, Georgia will likely become the second state where Republican members of Congress object to tallying the state’s Electoral College votes in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.
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The House and Senate are currently debating objections to the first state under scrutiny: Arizona. Republicans who support blocking the tally of Arizona’s 11 electoral votes have repeated allegations of election mismanagement and abuses that have already been rejected in lawsuits and described as false by those who manage elections in the state.
After two hours of debate, each chamber will vote on whether to concur with the objections. That is unlikely to happen with Democrats and a coalition of Republicans opposed.
Once the Senate and House each takes its individual votes, the chambers will return to a joint session to continue considering electoral votes, proceeding alphabetically down the list of states.
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, fresh off being defeated in her U.S. Senate race Tuesday, took notes as she listened to the debate. She is expected to speak in favor of rejecting Georgia’s votes once attention turns to the Peach State, a final show of loyalty to President Donald Trump.
Loeffler will be joined by at least five of the eight GOP members in Georgia’s House delegation in encouraging colleagues to reject the state’s 16 electoral votes for Biden.
While Congress meets inside the Capitol, protests led by Trump supporters and far-right activists continue on its lawns. At least two buildings in the Capitol complex were evacuated after reports of suspicious activity or packages.
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