Live updates: Pierce County voters want the same thing as they cast their ballots Tuesday
Regardless of how they voted, a small sampling of Pierce County residents who waited until Election Day to cast their ballots echoed the same sentiment: They want a unified, healed nation.
Hundreds of people were snaking their way through the Pierce County Election Center on Tuesday morning to register to vote or change their voter information. Outside, Tacoma police had turned South 35th Street into a one-way (eastbound) road as workers directed drivers through two lanes of ballot drop-off boxes.
A News Tribune reporter interviewed people leaving the voting center and asked four questions:
Who did you vote for in the presidential election?
What issue was most important to you?
Do you have confidence in the electoral process?
What’s your hope for the country?
Several people declined an interview. These are the answers from the first six who did speak.
Angela Long
Long, a Tacoma resident, said she voted for Democrat candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She cares about all of us,” Long said. “I believe we stand a better chance with her as president than Donald Trump. It’s about the little man.”
She has confidence in the electoral process.
Long wants peace and unity to sweep the country. She’d also like consumer prices to drop a little.
LaKenia Garnes
Garnes, also of Tacoma, said she voted for Harris.
“I am standing for democracy,” Garnes said. “I don’t believe that whatever they’re doing over there on the other side is going to uphold the constitutional rights of everyone.”
She has confidence in the nation’s voting system.
After the election, Garners hopes, “We move past all of the division and that we become unified like it seemed like we were when I was younger.”
Keenon Bushnell
Bushnell of Tacoma was reluctantly voting for Harris.
“I’m going Kamala, but I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “I didn’t want to vote for either.”
He was put off by the acrimonious and what he says is a corrupt political process that avoided discussions of key issues.
“I think most people now are voting for ‘I want my way,’ and they forget that we all have to work together,” he said.
“The electoral process, I think, is good,” Bushnell said. “I think this (paper ballots) is better than the electronic ones, because I do think there is a margin of error (with electronic) that is large.”
His hope for the future?
“That we finally start working together,” he said. “We need each other.”
David S.
David of Tacoma declined to give his last name. He said he voted for Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump based on economic reasons.
He has confidence in the election process — at least in Pierce County.
“I think it counts around here,” David said. “I think it will work out pretty well.”
In two years, he wants, “Everybody to be able to get back to a point where we’re making money, have good business. You know, everybody’s getting along. Seemed like everything was a little bit better back then, especially if you can go back 20, 30, years.”
Ken Jones
Jones of Tacoma said he wanted to vote for Trump, “Because of the damn economy,” but switched his vote to Harris at the last moment.
“Everything else that the Democrats are doing, I wanted, but there’s one thing I don’t trust the Democrats to (do): Be able to run our pocketbooks right with our tax money,” he said. “They never have been, and they never will be able to.”
Jones was afraid the divisive election could lead to violence. He hopes, “We don’t fall into civil war tonight. That’s my true hope. I’m seriously scared.”
Jones and Garnes are both vision impaired. They were bussed to the voting center to use an assistive ballot-marking device. They said they were the 15th and 16th people to use the machine on Tuesday.
Chris Dasef
Dasef of Tacoma voted for Harris. His reason: “Just steadfast leadership, as opposed to insanity.”
Does he have confidence in the election process? “Yes. Do I have confidence in the Electoral College System? No.”
Where would he like to see the country in two years?
“Get rid of the Electoral College, expand the Supreme Court and just be in a good path moving forward for everybody to live a good life,” Dasef said.
The pubic was able to register to vote, change their voter information and vote until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the voting center at 2501 S. 35th St. in Tacoma.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 12:20 PM.
