As the long and winding campaign trail for president winds down and election day arrives, one thing is for certain: both sides are vehement that their candidate is the country’s only chance for salvation.
The Vineyard and Massachusetts have long been democratic strongholds and like most states around the country the result of its electoral votes is not in doubt. Any text messages and emails asking for money and support for either party come from out of state — from Pennsylvania, Georgia or Michigan, where some Vineyarders have chosen to travel in order to go door-to-door to get out for the vote.
But that doesn’t mean Vineyarders are sitting this one out. Voter registrations have hit record levels and early voting numbers have been brisk. The Gazette fanned out across the Island this week, at the polls and the downtowns to take the pulse of the Island mood. Not surprisingly democrats outnumbered republicans by a wide margin. Supporters of former President Donald Trump were harder to find, but remained adamant about their candidate.
Kyra Whalen, a 26-year-old from Vineyard Haven, said she proudly voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. She remembered her first time voting, when former President Trump ran in 2016.
“All three elections I’ve been a part of have been so nail biting,” Ms. Whalen said. “It’s so hard for me to understand that nearly 50 per cent of the population feels so differently from me.”
Ms. Whalen chose to vote early as she will be in Australia on election day. She said if Mr. Trump wins, she might consider staying abroad permanently.
“I don’t know if I would actually move somewhere. It’s hard for me to tell but it’s definitely in the back of my brain,” she said. “Knowing some of the stuff that he’s said, it makes you sort of think, do I want to be here?”
Hudson Riordan will be voting for the first time this year. The 18-year old from Oak Bluffs said he is excited about finally having a say in picking a candidate. He urged people who are on the fence about voting in this election to go to the polls anyway and make an informed decision.
“Even in non-swing states, it’s going to be a close election,” Mr. Riordan said. “So I think every vote counts and you should vote for who you think is going to run the country best.”
West Tisbury resident Geraldo Dacosta voted for former President Trump, who he feels is a strong presence that the country currently lacks and needs.
“I believe we need a stronger president of this country who can be more powerful for the world to respect us and I don’t see much of that right now at the moment,” he said. “I see the country as a bit weak and I hope that we can be the United States of America again as it could be.”
He added that having Mr. Trump in office would be beneficial to world relations regarding the Middle East.
“If you had a stronger president that could be more powerful to bring more peace around the world, we would be safer right now than we are,” he said.
For Margery Meltzer, democracy was at the forefront of her mind when she voted for Kamala Harris.
“To me, [it’s important] that we keep our democracy and that local representation is strong,” she said. “I can’t think of anything bigger than keeping our democracy.”
Ms. Meltzer also credited the type of campaign that Vice President Harris and Gov. Tim Walz have run.
“The overall attitude that the campaign put forward from the start was one of positivity and bringing people together and being a representative of all the people,” she said.
Joan Chaput, of West Tisbury, said she is “voting for sanity and Kamala.”
Some republicans noted that they were switching sides for this election.
Edgartown resident Tony Bosselait said he identifies as a centrist republican but will be voting for Vice President Harris.
“I’ve voted for whoever I thought the right person was, but Trump is truly frightening,” Mr. Bosselait said. “He’s kind of a dictator, or a dictator wannabe... and I grew up in Europe where you have that kind of thing.”
Mr. Bosselait urged people to abandon their party alliances and vote for who they thought would lead the country best.
“I thought Clinton was the best at the time. I thought Obama was the best at the time. I thought Bush was best at the time. Pick them based on what you think,” he said.
An Edgartown resident who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation said he will be voting for Mr. Trump because he likes the way he is a free thinker and advocates against war. He was also concerned that if Vice President Harris wins, she will push a Jan. 6 insurrection narrative. He said people should be more skeptical about what they hear, and question political elites with an agenda.
“It was not an insurrection, it was a rally,” he said. “People are just too gullible.”
Sean Steves, who votes in Chilmark, said he’s voting for Mr. Trump and doesn’t care who knows. Since Mr. Biden became president, Mr. Steves said the cost of rent and groceries has dramatically increased on the Island. He works as a carpenter and said it has been increasingly difficult to find work. Mr. Steves said he isn’t able to afford rent nowadays and has been living in a tent in the forest.
Mr. Steves said he knows of two dozen other homeless people on the Island. He said not all are voting, but the people he has talked to say they are voting for Mr. Trump for the same reasons he is.
Joe Gervais, founder of Tashmoo Insurance, said he cast his ballot for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Mr. Gervais, who has been part of various Republican groups on the Island, said he couldn’t vote for Mr. Trump due to the former President’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results. But he also disagreed with Vice President Harris’ policies for the southern border and immigration.
“I feel that Kamala is not a strong leader and would probably keep the policies of the DNC in place,” he said.
At 89 years old, Alfred Badger has participated in numerous presidential elections. He said he voted for Vice President Harris. The Oak Bluffs resident pointed to a lifetime of dealing with racism, as well as watching his mother and grandmother deal with racism and sexism.
“This election scares me because [voters] don’t know their history,” Mr. Badger said. “I taught African American history and U.S. history and I am always thinking on that.”
Kyra Whalen also looked to generational history for inspiration.
“My Grandma is 95 years-old, and I think for her to see a woman become president would mean so much,” Ms. Whalen said. “She is really positive about it and I feel like I channel her energy.”
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