Voters in battleground Arizona are expressing concern, fear

Voters flocked to the polls on Tuesday in Arizona, a key battleground state where there was deep concern over the outcome of one of the most contentious presidential elections ever.

Voters interviewed at polling stations reported being unable to sleep and waking up early, feeling nervous and worried about who would win the election.

Many voters said they felt the future of the country depended on this election. The source of their unease depended on whether they supported former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate awaiting sentencing after being convicted of 34 felonies in May, or Vice President Kamala Harris, who voted just three months ago on August 5 Democratic nominee President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy in July.

That unease, many voters said, was compounded by the weight of the knowledge that in a swing state like Arizona, where the presidential race seemed razor-thin, every vote counted and their vote could ultimately play an outsized role in the decision , who would assume the office of president would be the next person to sit in the White House.

For some voters, however, the unrest was tempered by a sense of excitement as they viewed the long lines at polling stations as evidence of strong turnout that meant a likely victory for Trump or Harris. Other voters expressed relief that the months-long bombardment of divisive campaign ads had finally come to an end and said they were confident that the American people would come together regardless of the outcome.

“I think we're all a little tired over the last few months, especially the last 100 days,” said Paradise Bush, 29, a bank treasury officer from Phoenix, shortly after she dropped off her mail-in ballot for Harris at a polling station in the Faith Lutheran Church on Camelback Road in north Phoenix. “I'm just really happy and excited to see what the (result) will be, whatever it is, and hope that after this we can all come together and be more positive with each other.”.”

Mark Rasmussen, 71, a retired software engineer from Phoenix, had cast his ballot for Trump earlier but stopped by the same polling station to drop off his son. He could barely contain his emotions.

“I'm worried. I'm worried. “I’m very worried,” Rasmussen said.

Harris, Rasmussen said, is not qualified to be president. He said she benefited from a program to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds get into law school and then failed the bar exam on her first attempt.

In 2016, Harris admitted to failing the bar exam early in an interview with The New York Times Magazine. In 2018, Harris was identified in the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco's alumni magazine as a graduate of the school's Legal Education Opportunity Program, “which takes students from disadvantaged backgrounds and helps them succeed.” says the magazine. Right-wing news site The Daily Signal recently published an article saying Harris may not have been a good fit for the program because her parents were both successful academics.

Rasmussen also said he feared a Harris victory would lead to World War III.

“We will disappear from the face of the earth” if Harris wins, Rasmussen said. “You and Biden promoted World War III. Right now it's 90 seconds to midnight on the Doomsday Clock. It’s the worst thing ever.”

Felipe Pegram, 21, a restaurant manager from Phoenix, stood in line at the same polling location for about half an hour. Pegram said he was excited because it was his first time participating in a presidential election.

“It was exciting,” said Pegram, who voted for Trump in the presidential campaign. “But it was a little nerve-wracking at the same time.”

Nerve-wracking, he said, because he knew the election would continue to be back and forth in competitive Arizona.

“There is a weight on your shoulders knowing that you are voting on the people who are going to run the country,” Pegram said. “It’s definitely nerve-wracking knowing that you have this power in your hands. Knowing that his voice, especially in a state like Arizona, really counts.”

At the polling station at the Donna L. Higgins Recreation Center in Tucson, 21-year-old Mya Des Granges also felt stressed as she voted in her first presidential election in a battleground state.

“Being in a swing state would be the most stressful part of it because your vote really counts,” said Des Granges, who voted for Harris.

At the polling station at Dove of the Desert United Methodist Church in Glendale, Danny Torgerson, 55, voted in person with his two sons Ashton, 18, and Austin, 21.

Torgerson said it was the first time his two boys had voted in a presidential election.

He said he instilled in them from a young age the importance of voting as a civic duty.

Austin and Ashton were visiting family in Oregon over the weekend. But they drove back to Glendale just in time to vote in person on Election Day.

All three voted for Trump.

They cited the economy and the border as the main issues that worried them.

“Inflation was lower and it was easier to buy houses,” Danny Torgerson said, when Trump was in office.

At the polling station at the Desert Oasis Aquatic Center in Chandler, 71-year-old Barbara Wolfe said she was nervous about the outcome of the presidential race.

Wolfe, a registered Republican, said she voted for Trump because she fears a Harris presidency would have a negative impact on “everything,” from the border to the economy.

At the polling place at the McQueen Park Activity Center in Gilbert, Lisa Valencia, 59, a Democrat who voted for Harris, also said she was nervous. However, their concern was a Trump victory.

“It scares the hell out of me,” Valencia said. “Nervous. Very nervous.”

Andy Hernandez, 57, waiting in line to vote at the Desert Oasis polling station, said he was anxious for the presidential election to end because of the divisive rhetoric. Hernandez, a Democrat, said the race has caused stress in his relationship with his girlfriend, a Republican.

“It’s too much,” Hernandez said. “With all the mudslinging, all the misinformation, there are conflicts within households.”

Luckily, Hernandez added, “Our relationship is stronger than any other party.”

Reporters Sarah Lapidus, Endia Fontanez and Reia Li contributed.

Reach the reporter at [email protected].

Voters in battleground Arizona are expressing concern, fear – and hope

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