Transcript: Speaker 1: (00:07)
I’m Adrian [inaudible] and this is the state of our vote. Usually on election day, most of the nation comes out to the polls and cast their ballot to create something amazing democracy. This year, things were a little different with COVID. People could not leave their house or else they’d risk getting exposed in getting the virus. So today we interviewed three individuals, two first-time voters, and another young individual who brings the perspective of her parents. These individuals, one comes from the left, one from the right, and one kind of in the middle are changing as times. Move. First interview is with Leah, a first-time voter and a 19 year old college student, Leah voted for the first time this year in the general election. How did you vote this year?
Speaker 2: (01:07)
I did absentee ballot.
Speaker 1: (01:11)
Okay. Did you end up mailing yours in or did you just drop it off in a Dropbox yourself?
Speaker 2: (01:14)
I did. I mailed it in myself.
Speaker 1: (01:16)
How do you feel about how this whole election has been?
Speaker 2: (01:20)
I felt like our generation really, I think, made a big impact on the outcome of the election. I think we took it way more seriously than maybe past elections and past younger voters.
Speaker 1: (01:32)
Gotcha. And, um, what kind of drove you to go out and vote this this time?
Speaker 2: (01:39)
I would say, Oh, since it was my first election, I think it’s important to partake in voting for your president, but also because the candidates were, so the two sides are completely different. So I just felt it was important that everyone had the chance to vote, you know, get your opinion out there. Right. Perfect. Well, thank you so much. Thank you,
Speaker 1: (02:02)
Interview with a recent high school graduate who voted for the first time in this year’s election also to add perspective, his father recently lost his long time job with a very well known sports team. So here’s his point of view. You voted for the first time in this year’s election?
Speaker 3:
That’s correct. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
So how did you decide to vote this year with everything going on?
Speaker 3: (02:26)
I voted by an absentee ballot.
Speaker 1: (02:28)
Did you go and mail your ballot?
Speaker 3: (02:31)
I dropped it off at the, uh, township hall.
Speaker 1: (02:34)
I gotcha. Did you have a reason for that?
Speaker 3: (02:37)
Yeah, I just felt that it was a little more secure that way. I just feel good when I actually go somewhere and physically I can see myself dropping it off and not putting it in the mail, not knowing what happens to it. It’s just more of a more sense of security for me.
Speaker 1: (02:49)
Thoughts on this election compared to previous?
Speaker 3: (02:52)
Yeah, I definitely think obviously it was much different than any election in history. I think obviously there’s a lot more who voted via mail and, um, you know, then than in person for obvious reasons, I think that it was a little less secure than what it normally would be, just because there’s so many more things that can happen when you send your ballot in the mail poster, when you go to a physical place and put in a computer. But, you know, I like to think that it was secure, but I know it’s not always a hundred percent, but I didn’t want to go. Um, I didn’t have time to go, um, on the day of a luncheon, but for me, the most sense of security that I could do was physically go to drop it off. Um, um, like I said, I, I wanted to make it as secure as possible, short of actually going there on election day to vote, but I know some people don’t have that luxury.
Speaker 1: (03:46)
So do you have any other final thoughts?
Speaker 3: (03:49)
No, I don’t think so. Um, I just think that it’s important to, to have free and fair elections because you know that there’s really no point in a democracy if you don’t.
Speaker 1:
So we’ll thank you for your time today.
Speaker 3:
Thank you.
Speaker 1: (04:06)
This interview is with Ava. She has not had the chance to vote for the first time yet, but her parents have, and she has strong political beliefs. So you did not have the chance to vote for the first time yet, but I know your parents did. And how do your parents vote in this year’s election?
Speaker 4: (04:25)
My parents both voted in person. They like my mom has told me she loves to go vote in person. She thinks it’s really important and she just loves the energy. My parents think it’s important to vote in person, especially with this year hearing about all the elections fried. They didn’t want to do mail and balance. They’ve never done mail and balance and they haven’t heard how many ballots have been like lost or,
Speaker 1: (04:57)
Yeah, that’s very reasonable. This year’s election was completely different than past years. And so do your parents have anything to say about how the election has been compared to the past?
Speaker 4: (05:09)
Well, they’ve said it’s been, it’s been very like charged everyone in public is different. People can’t seem to accept others use and whatnot. It’s really kind of a different scene than it usually has been where people are usually more private about their beliefs and such. And now it’s, it seems this year that it’s important that everybody steps out and speaks for what they believe in because this year seems to be a deciding. I think it’s important to voice your right to vote and do what you believe then.
Speaker 1: (05:51)
Awesome. Well, thanks for the interview.
Speaker 4: (05:54)
Thank you.
Speaker 1: (05:59)
Things were far from normal this year, but as we heard people still went out and cast their ballots to create a democracy. Several viewpoints were brought up some voted in person, some by an absentee ballot and some by mailing it in no matter what way you do with this all promotes democracy. What can we learn from this year? Who knows, the election results seem to be decided…
