Massachusetts voters turned out on Election Day, motivated by historic stakes and issues in party loyalty, women’s rights and the candidates’ character.
Voters view this election as one of the most historic, with Former President Donald Trump campaigning for reelection despite receiving criminal convictions and Vice President Kamala Harris’ chance of becoming the first female president, said Rebecca Fisk, who voted at the Boston Public Library branch in Back Bay.
“It’s just been very anxiety-inducing, especially with a lot of things like women’s rights on the ballot and things that are really going to affect young people,” Fisk said.
Many said that voting was an important civic duty.
“It’s been a long journey of campaigning, and we’ve listened to both candidates,” said Lasonia Lang, a polling station worker in Fenway. “Now, it’s our time to do what we need to do.”
Bruce Watson, who voted at 105 Jersey St. in Fenway, said this election is ultimately not about deciding “who could be the better president,” but rather “who has a brain and who doesn’t.”
Watson said he is open to a female president given the nature of this election.
“The whole world could be at stake if the wrong person ends up in office,” Watson said. “We’ve had pretty good men, and we’ve had bad. Let’s give a woman a chance.”
Some voters’ decisions were driven by their long-standing political party affiliation.
Newton resident Alex Alaev said he voted for Trump as a continuation of his alignment with the Republican Party.
Alaev voted Republican for the past 27 years and said he does not “even look at the name” on the ticket and instead focuses on the party’s stance on key issues.
“The Republicans are slightly leaning towards lower taxes, so everything else, it doesn’t matter,” Alaev said.
In contrast, some people who voted for Harris were drawn by her stance on reproductive rights and abortion access.
Fisk said she voted for “what’s ultimately going to be right” for the country and said she valued Harris’ stance on reproductive rights.
“As a rape survivor, it’s incredibly important to me that [abortion is] available for all women,” Fisk said. “That’s probably the huge thing that pushed me to voting for Kamala.”
Jessica Mitten, a public defender from Boston, said she was drawn to Harris’s support for reproductive rights, along with priorities like “accountability, voter access and healthcare.”
Mitten said while she does not support Harris’ stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the election is “less about [Harris’] stances than about the fact that the opponent is going to destroy democracy.”
Similarly, White said her vote for Harris was motivated by her disapproval of Trump, along with “women’s rights” and the “character of the candidates.”
Boston resident James Damon said he wants the president to be a role model for his young daughter, which influenced his vote.
“I want someone that she can see and look up to,” Damon said.
Lang said Harris’ “character” and “knowledge of policy and procedure” also influenced her vote for Harris.
“She’s already the Vice President, which gives her excellent credentials, and what she’s done already in her years in office as a senator,” Lang said. “We need someone of her caliber in the office that’s going to handle the commander-in-chief with integrity, and she has it.”
On the other hand, Brain Prewitt, a lawyer who voted for Trump, said his Catholic faith was a factor in rejecting Harris.
“When she was on the Judiciary Committee, she compared the Knights of Columbus to the KKK, and … that’s totally a misunderstanding of Catholic service organizations,” Prewitt said. “Immediately, from the beginning of my knowledge of her senatorial career, I was turned off by her.”
Reported by Brie Foster, Charlie Johnson, Emilia Wisniewski, Karyna Cheung and Liam Dunne.
