Evanston residents flocked to the polls Tuesday despite a deluge of rain. Many voters were driven by two main issues in the 2024 presidential election: preserving democracy and protecting reproductive rights.
The Daily interviewed more than two dozen voters at six polling locations representing seven wards in Evanston: the Jane R. Perlman Apartments, Robert Crown Community Center, Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, Haven Middle School, Lincolnwood Elementary School and Dawes Elementary School.
We asked voters to identify their most important issues, the stakes of the presidential election, why it’s important to vote, who they voted for and whether they believe their preferred candidate will win.
No voters interviewed by The Daily indicated support for former President Donald Trump, while all who were willing to share said they voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The most important issue is not to let Trump back in office,” Evanston resident Ty Colvin said. “It was pretty scary last time, and I just needed to vote against that happening again.”
Several Evanston voters said they were anxious about the election and the future of the country more broadly.
7th Ward resident Michael Ray said they agree with Harris’s progressive policies on LGBTQ+ rights, women’s reproductive rights and civil rights in general.
“We really need to protect our vulnerable populations,” Ray said. “Even if you’re not a member of a community that’s marginalized or whose rights are being stripped away, I hope people across America can have empathy and compassion.”
Several voters expressed that Trump’s personal characteristics made him unfit for a second term.
Chuck Psotka, a 7th Ward Resident, said he did not want someone accused of fraud and sexual assault in the Oval Office, “no matter what the policies are.”
Comparatively few Evanston voters identified cost of living as a key issue. However, Evanston resident Breannah Ranger was one who did. She said she believes Harris would lower the costs of food, housing and childcare.
The majority of voters interviewed emphasized the importance of voting even as rain poured outside polling places Tuesday. Despite the inclement weather, several voters said voting is a civic duty, and that, even in a deep blue state, they felt their vote counted.
Colvin said her grandmother, who was a Louisiana sharecropper and could not vote, taught her the importance of voting.
“Anytime you have a right to vote, you can have it taken away at any time,” she said. “You better get out there. Rain is nothing.”
Four voters interviewed said a key issue was the Israel-Hamas War. Lucy Liquori, a 4th Ward resident, said although she does not fully approve of the Biden administration’s response to the war, Harris is “the better of the two evils.”
The Daily previously reported that some Evanston residents were planning not to vote in Tuesday’s election, citing Harris’ support for Israel.
Several voters said they were not entirely satisfied with the choice between Harris and Trump.
Still, local residents overwhelmingly expressed their support for Harris, expressing support for her positions on climate change, the economy, education, and, primarily, democracy and reproductive freedoms.
“This election, probably more than any in recent times, is a clear choice between — as Kamala Harris would say — going forward or going back,” 6th Ward resident Amy Katzoff said. “Seeing all the hate, antisemitism and fearmongering that’s been going on during the election — it would be nice if it stopped, and we went back to a civilized society that could talk civilly about politics.”
Isaac Speyer contributed reporting.
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