On Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, Georgia voters went to the polls to vote for their two United States Senators in a special runoff election. This runoff was very important for the future of the country because it would ultimately decide which party would control the United States Senate for the next two years. Atlanta resident Margie Osherroff voted because of her beliefs on Medicaid Expansion, and Environmental Protections. 

“I think Medicaid should be expanded because there are many people who miss it by just one or two percent of their income,” Osherroff said. “I have voted in every election since I was 18, but this year, it was time to get rid of greedy, evil politicians and replace them with people who really have compassion at the forefront of their policies that they want to be voted on.” 

Osherroff’s biggest issue for the United States and the state of Georgia are environmental protections. She believes that the best way to get that done is to continue electing candidates who have plans to repair the environment so they can have enough representation in congress to pass legislation. 

“Our environment is at a break point,” Osherroff said. “You have Republicans in Congress who don’t seem to care about it and would rather worry about keeping protections for companies from having to do things that protect the environment. We don’t have time for that.” 

Osherroff believed that the better choices to protect and repair the environment were Democratic Candidates Jon Ossoff, and Reverend Raphael Warnock because she wanted the Democrats to control both houses of Congress and the White House so that the country could make progress on climate legislation. 

“I particularly voted for Jon Ossoff because he wants new jobs for people who work in fields that will be repairing the environment whether it’s solar energy, engineering, or the auto-industry producing more electric cars,” Osherroff said. “But we have to take steps now to overturn laws that protect companies, not the environment.” 

The 2020 November Elections showed the highest turnout among voters in the nation’s history, despite being in the middle of a global pandemic. However, about 34 percent of eligible voters did not vote in the election. Osherroff believes that voting is one of the most important responsibilities as a citizen and cannot believe that people do not take advantage of that right. 

“Voting is the only way to make change,” Osherroff said. “I don’t understand how people could consider not voting. This is the world they live in and inhabit. Otherwise, they’re passively allowing things to happen to them that often don’t benefit them. And right now, Republican policies do not benefit the average person. They only benefit people at the top end of the financial curve. It’s time to stop the greed.” 

Fortunately for the Democrats, they have an advantage going into the runoff. President-Elect Joe Biden was able to win the state of Georgia by just 11,779 votes; the first Democrat to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Biden won due to high voter turnout in the Atlanta Metro Area, especially by young, African-American voters energized by Stacey Abrams. Osherroff hopes that Democrats can turn out just like they did for Joe Biden. 

“I am really excited,” Osherroff said. “I have seen young people, minorities, and people of all cultures in the state of Georgia really getting involved for many years. Young people have seemed to be very empathetic politically, not believing that they had a place or a voice. That has changed and that gives me hope.”