Early Voters Are So Done With This Election
“I wanted to exercise my right to vote, and I did not want to wait a minute longer.”
From 
With Nov. 8 approaching, we sent photographers to states where the presidential election is closely contested. They interviewed early voters doing their part for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, independent conservative Evan McMullin, Libertarian Gary Johnson, or Green Party nominee Jill Stein. The longest lines were in Ohio, where Hamilton County voters converged on a single location: the Board of Elections office in downtown Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Photographs and interviews by Andrew Spear
Kamilah Williams
18, Clinton voter
“I was excited to vote. It was my first time, and I have waited so long.”
Ismaeel Chartier
43, imam of the Clifton Mosque
“We were big Bernie supporters. The only reason I voted for Hillary Clinton is because we live in a swing state. If I was to live in another state, I would have voted for Jill Stein.”
Diera Taylor
23, Clinton voter
“Honestly, really honestly, I don’t like neither one of them. I know you can write in, but it’s really between those two when it comes down to it. I don’t think anyone’s going to win by write-in.”
Joseph Palascak
74, a physician at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Clinton voter
“I think that everyone is taken advantage of by these dot-com people who are billionaires. I don’t think anybody should be paid more than, say, $1 million to run a major corporation. And the fact that they get away with $70 million or $100 million and golden parachutes, that’s baloney. I would tax the heck out of those people.”
Alvertis Bishop
62, attorney and Hamilton County judicial candidate, Clinton voter
“If you are on the fence, that’s the same thing as being on the couch. Come tell us your point of view. Staying out of the electoral process only weakens it. I mean, where would we be today if Martin Luther King had sat on the couch, or Abraham Lincoln?”
PROVO, UTAH
Photographs and interviews by Michael Friberg for Bloomberg Businessweek
In Utah, McMullin, a Mormon, is appealing to #NeverTrump voters, while Clinton is hoping a split GOP vote can give her a surprise win in a reliably red state.
Anthony King
63, retired State Department employee, registered Republican, Clinton voter
“I’m Chinese American. My ancestors have been the victims of racial laws that have been passed, so I’m quite sensitive to the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that goes on about immigration against racial groups.”
Craig Hassapakis
56, Trump voter
“He’s not a bad person. He might have done bad things. You know, there’s a lot of people that are in prison that have made mistakes. But when they get out, they’ll have a chance to make decisions again, and hopefully they’re better decisions. Trump is the same way. We’ve all made mistakes.”
Sandra Dixon
72, McMullin voter
Richard Dixon
77, Trump voter
McMullin is “running to take electoral votes away from the other two, so possibly neither one could win, and then it would go to Congress. So that’s what I’m hoping.” —Sandra Dixon.
“I think a vote for him is a vote for Hillary. Otherwise I’d have voted for him.” —husband Richard Dixon.
Sage Pearson
33, Clinton voter
“More so than ever before, I think a Democrat has a chance to win the state, just because of the anti-Trump sentiment that a lot of Mormons here have. I feel like for once my vote counts more here than it would otherwise.”
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Photographs and interviews by Johnathon Kelso for Bloomberg Businessweek
Black churches in North Carolina have responded to cutbacks in early voting by the Republican legislature by organizing “Souls to the Polls” marches after services.
Clifford Jones Sr. (above, front right)
Pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Clinton voter
“I take the time during the months of September, October, and November to talk about the importance of voting. African Americans have suffered and endured a lot just for the privilege given to all human beings in America—the right to vote.”
Kelle Pressley
42, mother of nine, mom blogger, and doula, dressed up for Halloween, Stein voter
“I know that Hillary is pegged to win, but I will not be a part of it. I will not, because I don’t feel as though she represents me and mine to any capacity.”
Rosemary Lawrence
72, a retired revenue manager for the City of Charlotte
“Clinton is the candidate who’s going to make sure that the president’s programs are carried forward. My daughter has MS, and we’re saving about $400 a month because of the affordable health care plan.”
Juvonna Martin
27-year veteran at American Airlines, Clinton voter
“I wanted to exercise my right to vote, and I did not want to wait a minute longer.”
G.R. Warren
89, Clinton voter
“I didn’t like the debates that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump had. I don’t like for a man to treat a woman like that whether she’s a housewife or trying to be president.”
LAS VEGAS & NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Photographs and interviews by Isaac Brekken for Bloomberg Businessweek
Nevada voted twice for President Obama, but Republicans have spent millions trying to win its U.S. Senate seat—and perhaps the state.
Lee Chapple
64, first-time voter, Clinton voter
▷ North Las Vegas
“I wanted Hillary to be our first lady president.”
Iris Zhang
43, travel agent, Trump voter
▷ Las Vegas
“Hillary wants to open the door to refugees to come to America. In my opinion, FBI agents can’t positively say who is a good guy and who is a bad guy 100 percent. So this is the reason I am voting for Trump.”
Edward Vavricka
64, Clinton voter
▷ Las Vegas
“We need to get the Republicans out of the Congress and out of the Senate so we can get something done, because they don’t want to do nothing. They’re drawing $174,000 a year to sit on their ass and do nothing.”
Marilyn Haas
82, Clinton voter
▷ Las Vegas
“I actually voted for Ronald Reagan for president. I voted a few times for Republican people, because I felt that they were better. But this time, no way.”
PALM BEACH COUNTY & BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
Photographs and interviews by Erika Larsen, with Jorge Vidal for Bloomberg Businessweekfor Bloomberg Businessweek
Both Clinton and Trump are trying to win over Latinos in Florida, about 16 percent of all registered voters. Democrats have an advantage of 284,000 among them.
Jacquelin Bianchi
55, raised in Ecuador, declined to disclose her pick
▷ Palm Beach County
“I cannot believe that with 330 million people in the U.S., we have these two bad candidates. I agree with neither one. I chose one just because I need to choose, or I couldn’t vote.”
Elizabeth San Martín Kroll
55, originally from Peru, Clinton voter
▷ Broward County
“I was very excited, because it’s my first time voting in America. I became a citizen two years ago, and this was one of the reasons.”
Blanca Rafart
76, emigrated from Cuba 47 years ago
▷ Broward County
“Mr. Trump has made people see the reality of what’s going on. He says what he feels, and he’s opened people’s eyes. Sometimes he blurts things out, but you have to understand where he’s coming from.”
Raúl Puente
41, born in Ecuador, works in health care
▷ Palm Beach County
“As I tell everyone, I voted for Pence.”
