Trump calls Georgia runoff ‘illegal’ as three million vote early in worrying sign for GOP

Next week’s special election will decide which party controls US Senate

Donald Trump has called the Georgia runoff election “illegal” despite a record three million people already having cast their ballots early.

The outgoing president took to Twitter to brand the special election, which will decide control of the US Senate, as “both illegal and invalid.”

Mr Trump’s attack on the election came as he falsely tweeted an incorrect claim that the state legislatures were  “not in any way responsible for the massive changed made to the voting process.”

This is an argument that Republicans and right-wing commentators have unsuccessfully made to try and invalidate Democrat election wins in battleground states in November.

The president has also falsely claimed that voter fraud in the state cost him victory over Joe Biden, which has been rejected by both Georgia’s Republican governor and secretary of state.

A signature audit also found no fraud in the presidential election voting in Cobb County, which was key to Mr Biden carrying the battleground state.

Republicans have expressed concern that Mr Trump’s attacks on the state’s Republican leadership and on the election process will cost them the critical election.

Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are involved in tight races against incumbent senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

If Mr Ossoff and Mr Warnock can win both races it will give Democrats control of the senate as vice-president elect Kamala Harris will break all ties once sworn in.

The Republicans need to win just one of the seats in order to give Mitch McConnell control of the high chamber again.

More than 3 million people in the state have already voted ahead of. The 5 January election, smashing the previous turnout record for a statewide runoff.

Turnout is down compared to the 3.65 million people who had already voted by this stage in the general election, but way up on the previous record of 2.137 million for a runoff in 2008.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have poured into the state and it is set to be one fo the most expensive elections in US history.

Mr Trump will headline a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on Monday night, and Mr Biden and Ms Harris will campaign with the Democratic candidates on Sunday and Monday.

Mr Perdue has been forced to suspend his campaigning as he is quarantining after coming into “close contact” with a member of his campaign who tested positive for Covid.

Mr Perdue and his wife have both so far tested negative for the virus.