Voter turnout has been high at many Capital Region polling sites today despite nine days of early voting and an expanded mail-in option during the pandemic.
In Albany, a city with a century of Democratic rule under its belt, most of the voters WAMC encountered at different polling sites are towing the party line. Outside the site at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Albany this afternoon, Mark Lifset said he backed former Vice President Joe Biden:
"I am concerned primarily about dealing with the coronavirus, and I think he will mobilize more energy on the federal level than the president has."
Bob Mason also cast a vote for Biden:
"I'm nervous. I don't know what's gonna happen as the votes are counted. I just am on edge. It's the damndest thing that I've ever seen. I saw the year of the Chicago Seven. And this is, strange times."
Lifset agrees 2020 has been a trial for everyone. He'd like to see a winner declared sooner rather than later.
"I hope it's over, decided quickly and doesn't drag on in the courts for a long time."
Over at Hibernian Hall, Alessia Gonzalez was among those voting in person. The long lines that made morning headlines had disappeared by early afternoon.
"Yeah I was surprised, I thought I was gonna be waiting in line for at least like an hour, no matter what polling site I was going to, but it was like five minutes in and out."
Gonzalez voted for Biden. Fellow Albany resident Dick Adair credited Trump with handling the economy well, but went for Biden, too.
"Well, I believe it's gonna be exceedingly close."
Voters and poll workers were wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
Democrats also hold an enrollment advantage in Schenectady County, where Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle chairs the Republican Party.
He says Republican Jim Tedisco will retain the 49th state Senate seat against Thearse McCalmon, that longshot Congressional candidate Liz Joy will defeat Democrat Paul Tonko, in the 20th district, and that Trump is going to win decisively...
"There's a lot of, a lot of excitement. A candidate that draws 56, 57,000 people to a rally, that's a movement. And I don't think the polls are capturing that. And I just think that he's gonna have a successful night as well."
Polls are open until 9 p.m. in New York.
