Turnout for a midterm election is typically lower than a presidential contest. But this year, there’s a lot on the line. This election is considered by poll watchers to be a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term. And with the House and Senate in play, millions will vote.
Read the full transcript below:
Lucas Willard: This is WAMC’s Northeast Notebook. I’m Lucas Willard. It’s Election Day. And voters have a lot on their minds.
Kimi Ishikawa: Well, I care very much about ICE.
Irfan Shikh: Affordability, I would say most of…
Rae Jay: I want to make sure that I have a governor that isn't going to try and repeal things…
Lucas Willard: In the Northeast, millions of voters cast their ballots early. And many more will head to the polls today. Or...not...
Analissa Ferrera: I just never really got into the politics, and I never had the time to go in and vote either.
Chudney Campbell: And if I was to vote, I'm more of a person who… I believe more into policy than the politician.
Lucas Willard: Today’s show is about the people who have the ability to cast their ballot, or choose not to. Herman Johnson is voting in the midterms.
Herman Johnson: I've always been a voter.
Lucas Willard: The 83-year-old Albany resident spoke with WAMC on Monday. And, when asked, he said what’s on his mind this year.
Herman Johnson: The economy… I guess I fit in a lot of people's shoes about the empathy that we don't have a good economy like we've had.
Lucas Willard: And Herman had a simple response when asked how he hopes this year’s election goes.
Herman Johnson: No, I would just say I hope it turns out prosperous.
Lucas Willard: Turnout for a midterm election is typically lower than a presidential contest. But this year, there’s a lot on the line. This election is considered by poll watchers to be a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term. The Republican is underwater with voters – an NBC News poll released Monday show’s him with a 40 percent approval rating. And with the House and Senate in play, millions will vote. Including Irfan Shikh, who will perform his civic duty for the first time.
Irfan Shikh: I just became a citizen, so this will be my first time, you know?
Lucas Willard: When asked what’s on his mind, Irfan, a 35-year-old sales rep from Guilderland, used the A-word that is being repeated by candidates on both sides of the political aisle.
Irfan Shikh: Affordability, I would say most, mostly affordability, you know. I can feel that too, you know. Being, you know, I have two kids.
Lucas Willard: Voters this year will decide which parties control the Senate, the House of Representatives, and also choose their state leaders. Gubernatorial contests are being held in 36 states, including in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Another voter excited to make her choice is Kimi Ishikawa.
Kimi Ishikawa: Oh, I've been itching to vote for a long time now.
Lucas Willard: Kimi is 65 and from Greenwich, New York. She works in a nuclear chemistry lab.
Kimi Ishikawa: Well, I care very much about ICE, and I just think democracy is extremely important, and I feel it slipping away.
Lucas Willard: The issues that bring voters to the ballot box vary widely. Kristen Raup is a 46-year-old insurance underwriter from Troy.
Kristen Raup: I care a lot about the kids' school stuff and the ability to be able to afford to pay for anything.
Lucas Willard: And sometimes, it’s a candidate’s personal touch that can bring in a vote. Kristen ended up casting a ballot for Democratic New York State Assembly candidate Chloe Pierce.
Kristen Raup: I can't tell you too much about people, but Chloe specifically called me, and it was very weird. But she was very nice, and I appreciated her answer, so I did vote for her.
Lucas Willard: Rae Jay, a 26-year-old Albany resident, has their eyes on the New York governor’s race, where incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul is defending her seat from Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive.
Rae Jay: I want to make sure that I have a governor that isn't going to try and repeal things, and will try and keep costs relatively low. I know that everything is rising, but I want to avoid things from getting much worse. Ideally.
Lucas Willard: As WAMC found, many voters will say they’re not that into politics. But they’re making themselves heard. Tom Schreck is a 65-year-old life coach from Albany.
Tom Schreck: The things I'm concerned about, and I'm not a super-duper political guy, but the things I care about, I think, are so obvious. I don't think we should be at war. I don't think that we should be killing people. I think we were a country that was founded on, “Give us your tired, your poor, your hungry,” and I don't know what happened to that, and just the ugliness of the campaigning, I've had enough of.
Lucas Willard: With the midterm elections here, local elections officials say they’re seeing a sense of urgency from voters.
Alison McLean Lane: A lot of people saying that they really wanted to vote this year.
Lucas Willard: Alison McLean Lane is the Democratic Commissioner for the Albany County Board of Elections.
Alison McLean Lean: We have had many people come to register. Automatic voter registration has certainly helped. A lot of people that are young are coming in. You can feel the excitement in the air.
Lucas Willard: That excitement is also being shown in early voting numbers. In New York, where voters have the option to vote early for nine days, nearly two million Empire State residents cast their ballots before Election Day. That’s according to unofficial numbers provided by the state Board of Elections. The BOE also says that as of February of this year, there were 13,408,058 registered voters in New York. And, as of this November, there were 13,572,803 registered voters. That's an increase of more than 164,000. And for those who work on the ground to encourage residents to vote and to register to vote, they’re seeing similar increases.
Clyanna Lightborn: Historically, midterm elections have a very, very low turnout.
Lucas Willard: Clyanna Lightbourn is campaign director for the non-partisan League of Women Voters.
Clyanna Lightborn: This year we’re seeing a huge number of young folks coming out and voting, first-time voters, absolutely. People going in pairs, people going in groups, people having election brunches afterwards. You know, they vote and then they have brunch together. So, I think we’re seeing a culture around voting.
Lucas Willard: But still, others are choosing to not vote, including Analissa Ferrara.
Analissa Ferrera: I just never really got into the politics, and I never had the time to go in and vote either.
Lucas Willard: Analissa is 24 and works as a retail assistant manager. Though she says she wasn’t thinking of voting, she told WAMC where she gets her news from – her mom.
Analissa Ferrera: My mom just tells me here and there of what is going on. I know the only thing that I know recently that's going on is that they're raising Schenectady taxes up 42%.
Lucas Willard: Analissa is referring to a City of Schenectady city budget proposal that has drawn strong reaction from city residents. Also not voting is Chudney Campbell, a 37-year-old visual manager from Clifton Park.
Chudney Campbell: And if I was to vote, I'm more of a person who I believe more in the policy than the politician. So, voting for policies kind of make more sense to me than voting for politicians.
Lucas Willard: Rita and Jennifer Deyo, a mother and daughter, are voters from Franklin County, Massachusetts. Rita also relies on family to keep her in the know.
Rita Deyo: My son-in-law, who's constantly on his phone with the news people and stuff.
Annie Bennett: What about you?
Jennifer Deyo: I get it just from other people hearing things and stuff. I don't follow politics that much.
Lucas Willard: But they both plan to vote. They’re especially interested in the race for Massachusetts governor, between incumbent Democrat Maura Healey, and Republican challenger Mike Minogue.
Rita Deyo: We want a change in Massachusetts.
Jennifer Deyo: Especially the governor.
Lucas Willard: Northeast Notebook is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Thanks to producer Annie Bennett for her reporting on this story. Our editor is Diane DeVore. Music by Eduardo Rivera. I’m Lucas Willard, I produced this episode. Thanks for listening.
You can subscribe to Northeast Notebook on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
