Voters speak about polling, candidate selection

Students and community members stepped out on the rainy Nov. 6 polling day to vote in the 2018 midterm elections. The Brown and White spoke to several students and community members at local polling places about their experiences voting.

Cate Rymer, ’20 – Not affiliated

“This time around I was leaning much more Democratically because I feel like the Republican representatives in the Senate and the House … could certainly do better. I definitely think that the immigration policy is not being handled well — it’s a lot of disregard for human safety and morality. I’m definitely worried about LGBTQ rights, and safety (of those individuals), generally. Also, (I am concerned about) Medicare and Medicaid, because (those programs have) benefitted a lot of people, a lot of people would suffer (without them).”

Kenneth Brink, Retiree – Independent

I just don’t like the way that the political system is set up — with the Republicans and Democrats — all they do is fight one another and nothing ever gets done… I’m Independent, but the older I get, the more I lean Republican. I get conservative with age, as opposed to (when I was) 20 years old and I wanted the world to change.”

Gisselle, 22-year-old student at Moravian College – Republican

“I am Puerto Rican but I live in America and my daughter lives in America. With that being said, I am really rooting for Marty Nothstein (R) because he’s originally from the Lehigh Valley and he’s an Olympic gold medalist… Whereas when I looked at Democratic candidate Susan Wild, I think she’s more corporate — she’s a corporate lawyer. So I’m voting for Marty Nothstein — I think he’s got that character, that passion, that drive for the Lehigh Valley and since I was born and raised right here in Bethlehem, I’d like to see the Lehigh Valley thrive. He’s the one I’m really rooting for.”

“(I’m a) Hispanic woman voting for a Republican candidate — it’s a little scary for me to be open about that. But I do think it’s important to vote for the candidate who best embodies your ideas, and I do believe that Marty Nothstein values what’s important to me.”

Kelly Mulvaney, ’21, – Democratic-leaning

“The outcome of the last (presidential) election was kind of surprising. The results of the last election made me realize how important it was to vote this time around as well.”

“(In this election) I basically held the same views that I did in the last election. I voted for the Democratic party, but my views have always been the same, really. I brought that here. You can’t solve it all at once, but gun control, birth control… I researched the (candidates) that I knew I wanted to vote for. Bob Casey (D) was the main one.”