Early in-person voting begins in Georgia as U.S. Senate showdown enters final weeks

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler speaks at a campaign event at the Cobb County Republican Party Headquarters in Marietta, Georgia, U.S. November 11, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Early in-person voting begins in the state of Georgia Monday for a pair of Jan. 5 runoff elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate and whether Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will be able to enact at least some of his agenda.

In a showdown that depends largely on voter turnout, the number of people who show up to vote on Monday could offer clues to which side ultimately prevails: Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, or their respective Democratic challengers, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.