Election Day Interviews

At Manhattanville Houses on 133 Street and Amsterdam,

by Junior Cruz

James Chu, 23, stopped to vote on his way to The City College of New York (CCNY). He stood under the scaffolding that surrounds the building and said he’s concerned that many people didn’t want to vote because they don’t like the candidates. He did make an effort to convince other people about the importance of voting. “I have encouraged like four people to register to vote who are from other parts of the state, who might not think they should, or that it matters.”

He wants to have hope for the future. “I am most worried about what the economy will be like and like will I be able to afford a house when I graduate,” he said.

 

At P.S. 175 the Henry H. Garnet School for Success on West 134 Street

by Anna Vergolini

Gary, a 38-year-old man born and raised in Harlem, stood in the line at P.S. 175 to cast his ballot, and said that he was excited to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. “You know it’s about time that we have a woman as a President,” Gary said. “I’m more than happy to give everyone a chance and open new doors. I just hope that she’s gonna set a good example and doesn’t fall into the stereotypes, making it then harder for someone to try it again later on.”

Agatha, an older woman who had seen me interviewing Gary, approached and wanted to talk. “I moved to Harlem 45 years ago, when I was pregnant, I’ve lived here under the past seven presidents and I would like to elect someone who is gonna make it possible for me to live here for the next few years too,” she said.

Agatha plans to move into a retirement home in the next few years. She said, “My kids and grandkids are working all day long, all week long, to pay rent, I can’t keep on asking them to take time for me, they can’t afford that anymore.” She said, living in the city is becoming impossible and that she and her family are lucky they found rent controlled apartments in the neighborhood.

Agatha was voting for Vice President Kamala Harris. She said that she’s scared that under Trump the cost of living is going to get too high. She also worried about him cutting Social Security benefits, which are her only source of income.

Her grandson 27-year-old Goze, waited outside while his grandmother voted. He said that he had decided not to vote. “I don’t like the idea of choosing for the less evil. The candidates should not be evil period.”  Pretty soon after he said that, his grandmother came out wearing her I Voted sticker.

Daniel, another Harlem native, also wore his voting sticker and talked about the candidates and evil. “I do believe Trump and Kamala are the devil,” he said. “But even though I know not everyone else sees it, we can all at least recognize that Trump is a bigot. I know many people won’t vote because they don’t like the current options, but we need to start by voting for the best options until we get someone that will be competent enough to fix this country.”

Now that he’d voted, he planned to celebrate what he called the “last moments of normality before the chaos.” He was going to stop at a deli and pick up a few beers to drink at home with his friends.

 

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136 Street

by Rosemarie Gonzalez, Sandra Gonzalez

At the largely Hispanic voting place, many elderly men and women, some with walkers and canes, slowly made their way up the steep hill from Broadway to Amsterdam to vote. Some had a family member helping them walk and climb the stairs that led into the school.

Lilliana Hernadez brought her young daughter to vote with her. She said, “This is one of those elections where if you don’t vote, you don’t have a say.”

Layda, who didn’t give us her last name, said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. “I want to see change, change that’s going in the right way. She could bring a lot of good things to this country.”

Another voter, Elena wasn’t happy with either candidate at first, but in the end voted for Vice President Harris. “You can’t vote for someone that wants to kick us out,” she said.  Elena became a citizen in the late 1990s and she talked about the United States as a nation of immigrants.

 

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136 Street

By mid-morning the polling place was busy with people lined up outside.

by Isangel Acevedo

Many people didn’t want to discuss the election. The few who did wouldn’t tell us their names. One 25-year-old woman said that she was voting on her lunch break. She said, “It’s stressful because I don’t know how it is going to go. It’s mostly up to fate.” She did tell us that she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.

The second woman who stopped to talk said, “Ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter and turned it into X, I am seeing more ads for Donald Trump than ever before. I think that Trump’s policies lean toward people like, rich white men. Even if there are a bunch of people who would love to be millionaires one day, Trump’s policies won’t make that any more likely.” She worries about the division in the country and what will happen if Harris wins. “I’m worried about a miniature civil war,” she said.

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Tamar Adamashvili

Fifty-two-year-old Carlos didn’t give his last name. He said, “I think there is no question on who is the better candidate because we all know the answer. It would be the female.”  He cast his vote for Kamala Harris and told us, “The main reason to choose Kamala is not to choose the other candidate and make him president of this country.”

Joshua, 24-years-old, also didn’t give his last name. He said, “I choose Kamala and hope for her to be president of our country because she will be able to lead us forward rather than taking a step back.”

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Yarien Garcia and Jaylen King

Two people agreed to talk us. Alex McCoy, a young veteran, said that he had a daughter recently and looks to the future. He said that he is grateful for the Biden administration’s emphasis on veterans’ health and hopes that Harris will continue to support and expand health benefits for veterans. He also brought up JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate. He said, “He is a lying, authoritarian sc…bag, who has lied in support of Trump’s crimes.” His wife Hannah McCoy said that she was disgusted with the behavior and comments of people at the recent Trump Madison Square Garden rally. Her husband said, “It’s a shame how that side talks about fellow Americans.

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Emma Herrera and Dayna Michels

Michael didn’t give his last name. But the 40-year-old said he liked to follow politics. “I voted for Kamala Harris because I don’t like Trump. He is more of an entertainer than a politician. I’m a psychologist and see many red flags in him.”  He said that Vice President Kamala Harris’s background gives her preparation for the presidency.  “Her experience in the judicial system makes me feel like she’s the better candidate,” he said.

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Matthew Rodriguez

Nashley, an 18-year-old college student, originally supported former President Donald Trump.  She said, “There are a lot of immigrants coming into the country and our crime rate has gone up and schools have to shut down to give these immigrants shelter.” But she explained that she researched Project 2025, which conservatives put together as a blueprint for a Trump administration. She said that she realized that Trump’s policies hurt her rights as a woman. “Trump is planning on making abortion illegal and for me that isn’t okay.”  She cast her vote for Kamala Harris because, “I’m not just doing it for my rights but for the woman in my life as well.”

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Vanessa Williams

Vivian Molina came to the polling place with her 80-year-old parents who wanted to vote. Molina had already voted in North Carolina where she lives. She said that the economy was her main concern. “As a single woman trying to make ends meet, it’s difficult in today’s economy.” She said that she voted for former President Donald Trump because she thinks that American family values have been lost. Her father from the Dominican Republic voted for Vice President Harris and her mom from Puerto Rico also voted for Vice President Harris.

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Eric Arias

This presidential election gave Ashley Guzman, an 18-year-old senior from the Mathematics and Science High School, a chance to cast her first vote.  Ashley told us that she feels very passionate about making a difference and said, “It’s essential for people especially women to use their voices. Just vote,” she said.  Ashley said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and was impressed by the memes and other things she saw on social media.  “Gen Z has the right to be heard. We are the future.” she said.

History teacher Mercedes Jackson stopped to talk to us and said simply, “It’s time for a woman to be heard.”

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Jesse Zalk

“It feels like I’m siding with the Devil, and I know it,” a woman said. She didn’t want to give us her name but had come to vote with her young daughter and her mother who was in a wheel chair. She didn’t like either Vice President Harris, or former president Donald Trump, but still she felt voting was important.

“I’m mostly concerned about my children,” she said. When I asked what she wanted her kids to have in the future, her mother yelled “safety!”  She said that she feels dissatisfied with politics and hopes for change. “[This election] is a new beginning. It’s like a diet you know works, but eventually the weight comes back. I feel stuck in a cycle of voting without change,” she said.

At P.S. 192, Jacob Schiff Elementary School, at Amsterdam 136-138 Streets

by Andrei Turlea

A Columbia University journalism major didn’t want to give her name. But she said that she came out to vote because, “It is the civic duty as we were taught in high school, and I am passionate about a few things on the back of that ballot, that will benefit a lot of New Yorkers, and other Americans.”  The back of the ballot contained a proposition that would guarantee abortion rights to women in New York State.  She planned to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris because she said,  “Trump is a danger to the country, hateful and harmful towards the LGBTQ.”

A few blocks north on Amsterdam Avenue between 146 and 147 Streets at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Elementary School Muhammed Irfan captured the scene outside the polling place in photos.