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Hey everyone, it's Election Day!
I'll be all around town talking to voters.
What do you see? Let me know!
Should be a busy day but also Nebraskans have voted early in droves, already accounting for more than half all votes cast in 2016. https://omaha.com/news/local/follow-live-its-election-day-in-nebraska-polls-open-at-8-a-m/article_0b70488e-4c57-54e8-a7e1-6751d1802fc3.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
I'll be all around town talking to voters.
What do you see? Let me know!
Should be a busy day but also Nebraskans have voted early in droves, already accounting for more than half all votes cast in 2016. https://omaha.com/news/local/follow-live-its-election-day-in-nebraska-polls-open-at-8-a-m/article_0b70488e-4c57-54e8-a7e1-6751d1802fc3.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
Emily Meyers volunteered for the first time to be a poll worker. She said the mask precautions made her feel safer working in a pandemic.
"I just wanted there to be a surplus of workers"
"I just wanted there to be a surplus of workers"
Pamela Mauro, 39, said she and her husband are big Trump supporters. The president doesn't hide his feelings, she said. "When he speaks, it might not always be appropriate but he always tells you how he feels."
Today was 18-year-old Alex Rubio's first time voting. He was torn on the presidential candidate up until last night, and said he got little sleep. Ultimately he decided to vote for the "lesser evil" and go Biden. Kids in cages & rallies in pandemic swayed his opinion, he said.
Naoma Lane stands outside the polling place at Omaha South High School with this sign she made. She plans to go all over the city today.
Trump rules like a king, she said, "He governs by executive order, he does not listen to experts."
Trump rules like a king, she said, "He governs by executive order, he does not listen to experts."
Ed Boyer & his wife Mai Morgan voted with her brother, Zac Morgan. Zac became a U.S. citizen earlier this year & voted for the first time. They loved the sign & all voted Biden.
The country needs a president who reflects American values, Mai said.
"I want the division to stop."
The country needs a president who reflects American values, Mai said.
"I want the division to stop."
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, in the heart of South O, had 88 voters in the first two hours. That's up from previous presidential elections, said volunteer Chris Aponick, who worked that polling place in 2016 & 2012.
Jason Contreras, 44, is the third first-time voter I've talked to. His ballot was all blue. "It's the first time I felt like I had to do it. Everything Trump is for, I'm against"
He has family members who are LGBTQ, people of color, with health issues — important to protect them.
He has family members who are LGBTQ, people of color, with health issues — important to protect them.
Kind of a no brainer but clearly the presidential election is compelling people to go vote. No one is out here solely to vote either way about the gambling ballot initiative. Trump/Biden is the main event.
Bellevue Public Library reports 147 voters by 10:35 a.m. A poll worker said she feels it's been about the same as previous presidential elections, and she's worked since Bush.
James Carr, 63, has voted since Carter. Healthcare and economy were important issues to him. He's a Republican and voted Trump.
"Shutting down the country would not be a good idea."
"Shutting down the country would not be a good idea."
A poll worker in Florence, one of many first-time volunteers there, tells me there's a steady stream of voters.
They're at 200 voters as of 10:45 a.m.
They're at 200 voters as of 10:45 a.m.
In the first row in the parking lot outside Bellevue Public Library, a van has an American and Trump flag. Not 200 feet away, per electioneering rules. It just left so it might have been a voter.
A poll worker at Northwest High School tells me 150 have voted as of 11 a.m. Line for about the first hour and then the stream has tapered off.
242 voters at St. Columbkille in Papillion by 11:43.
Linda France, who's worked the precinct for 24 years, said she was surprised at the number since so many on the list are absentee. She guessed there'd be 225 all day — not halfway through and they've already surpassed that.
Linda France, who's worked the precinct for 24 years, said she was surprised at the number since so many on the list are absentee. She guessed there'd be 225 all day — not halfway through and they've already surpassed that.
Tonya House, 50, a Democrat, votes in every election but especially in this one, since the number one issue for her was "getting Trump out of office." Local House & Senate races were important too, she was upset Janicek didn't leave race.
(She follows me on Twitter!
Hi, Tonya!)
(She follows me on Twitter!
Hi, Tonya!)
Drew Borchers drove to his polling place in Papillion from Lincoln, where he goes to school. He's an independent and decided this morning to vote Trump.
"If Trump would stay off social media, he'd be a better president."
"If Trump would stay off social media, he'd be a better president."
Mary Jones, 38, dons her "Vote for Donnelly" Chris Farley shirt every election, and likes voting in person to see the civic duty camaraderie on display.
She voted for Biden because she wants to see change.
She voted for Biden because she wants to see change.
Blanca Toledo, 42, teared up thinking about children at the border who are separated from their parents.
"It hurt me. I'm a mom. I'm a grandma."
Her entire family voted Biden. She believes Trump is against Hispanic and Black people.
"It hurt me. I'm a mom. I'm a grandma."
Her entire family voted Biden. She believes Trump is against Hispanic and Black people.
346 voters at Standing Stone Bible Church in Gretna as of 2 p.m. Poll workers couldn't say how that compared to last presidential election.
And just got an update from Florence, which has had 320 voters so far.
And just got an update from Florence, which has had 320 voters so far.
Luke Shook, 40, said his gym business has done the best under Trump, and it probably would have been shut down during the pandemic if he didn't live in a Republican-led state.
He voted Trump, a switch from Clinton in 2016 & all Democrat candidates before that.
He voted Trump, a switch from Clinton in 2016 & all Democrat candidates before that.
Dan Cherveny, 73, is a Republican but has voted for candidates from both parties since 1968. He voted for Trump in 2016 but changed his thoughts in June, when he felt the pandemic "was kind of recklessly handled." He also doesn't like how Trump treats people of color. Voted Biden
At Ronald Wilson Reagan Elementary School, 258 people have voted by 2:15 p.m. The poll workers couldn't compare with previous presidential elections.
A 57-yo man & 59-yo woman, engaged to be married, voted Trump.
"He's brought a lot of jobs back from China," he said.
The woman voted for the first time & said she voted for freedom.
"We don't want foreign countries coming in here taking over"
They declined to give me their names
"He's brought a lot of jobs back from China," he said.
The woman voted for the first time & said she voted for freedom.
"We don't want foreign countries coming in here taking over"
They declined to give me their names
