Voters made their way to the polls this morning and beyond doing their civic duty, a few of them were voting with one issue in mind.
At John F. Kennedy Senior High School in Cheektowaga, Steven came to polls with one thought in mind:
“Replacing the current governor we have.”
Another voter walking into J.F.K. explained why Hochul had to be voted out.
“Bad government,” he said of Hochul’s tenure. “The crime the way it is you know things like that.”
Outside of a polling place in Lackawanna’s 1st Ward, Rodney said democracy is at stake which is why he was voting down the Democrat line.
“I'm concerned about insurance health issues I'm concerned about the weapons that's on the street that's killing our people I'm concerned about abortion rights I'm concerned about life.”
Outside of Gloria J. Parks Community Center Wilfrid said having escaped the horrific Duvalier government in Haiti as a child, he thinks voting in fair elections is being taken for granted by Americans.
“I grew up under what I call an autocratic dictatorship and an autocratic government,” he said. “And I come here and what do I see? I see people here have all these benefits that they are enjoying, okay. But they are complaining about everything.”
Wilfred voiced his concern that extremist elements in the country are putting democracy at stake.
“When I was a kid, when my parents actually explained to me how Duvalier came about, and how Duvalier came about is exactly what Trump was doing and what the Republican Party is doing,” he said. “When we demonize the press and you shatter people's trust in institutions it's easy to overthrow and overrun everything. And that's what Trump and the Republican Party is doing.
One thing voters could agree on was the expediency of the voting process.
“Oh it was good they sign you in and they give you the folder with the balance sheet in and then a pen,” Rodney said. “In and out.”
