Despite a frosty start to Election Day, residents across Chatham County made their way to polling places on Tuesday for their last chance to weigh in on the 2020 election cycle.
At the Paul Braxton Gym in Siler City, Dewey Ferguson stood outside his polling place wearing a Van Halen jersey with a sample ballot in hand. His beard peeked around parts of his face mask as he spoke, explaining he came to the polls in person because Election Day is special to him, saying he always tries to vote in presidential elections.
“I’m sentimental to the day,” he said. “I hope the Democrats win and we get the Senate.”
For Pam Tilton, Tuesday was a new experience. She said she was a first-time voter and doing her part to keep President Donald Trump in office. Tilton mentioned that even though she’d avoided previous elections, she approves of Trump’s resume and wanted her support for him to count — which meant going to vote in person.
Tuesday was also a big day for Corbett Dark, another first-time voter. He made his way out to the gym before 8:30 a.m. to avoid waiting in long lines, and to make sure he got a real voting experience. This year, he said, he decided to vote because he’d been pestered by both friends and outreach efforts by various campaigns.
“I’m ready for (the election) to be over,” he said with a laugh. “My phone’s been ringing off the hook for the last couple weeks.”
Dark also said he’s more concerned about national politics and isn’t as interested in how this election will impact Chatham County at a local level. He said politicians should use this time as a unifying moment, instead of a dividing one. He also admitted he could see more unity under Democratic administrations.
Over at the Bonlee School Gym, Lenora Lucas and Jerry Hilland went to cast their votes together. Lucas said she wasn’t as sure that her vote would be counted if she sent it by mail or voted early, so she came for the reassurance. This election was important for her ideologically. She sees a possible Biden administration as opening the door for socialist policies, something she opposes.
“This election is the most important for the sake of my family,” she said.
At least one person wasn’t thrilled about election season coming its end — Larry Clark. He said he works for a mobile stage company out of Pittsboro that’s been providing equipment for political rallies, and he’s been happy to have made some money. Being busy is also what kept him from voting earlier, he said, but he took that extra time to research candidates.
Clark added that it feels like everything from local to national politics have higher stakes this year, but he declined to predict any outcomes.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I just know I voted and waited until today to vote.”
Like Clark, Charlie Fields took the “wait and see” approach to this year’s election. He cast his vote Tuesday morning at the J.S. Waters School in Goldston. Election Day was the only day he felt safe to vote.
“It’s when you’re supposed to vote,” he said.
Fields also didn’t shy away from identifying his candidate of choice, saying that President Trump seems to be interested in protecting his rights as a citizen.
“I enjoy my freedom,” he said. “Trump isn’t my favorite person, but he’s done what he said he was going to do.”
Local politics also played into his decision to vote on Election Day, Fields said. He mentioned there’s a lack of conservative ideology among Chatham County’s elected officials, and he’d like to see more people that align with his beliefs in office.
At the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro, some voters talked about how choosing a candidate this year proved more difficult than they had expected. Melissa Harshman said she came to vote in person because that’s what she feels comfortable with, and — like many — was grateful to see the election cycle come to a close. She also added that this year’s mudslinging and political plays felt pretty standard, even in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Harshman planned on voting for Trump, that decision came after evaluating each candidate’s morals and plans of action.
“Looking at Trump, he doesn’t have all the morals (I wish he had), but neither does Biden,” she said. “But Trump has more of them.”
Kirby Barnes, another voter at the Ag Center, said she wasn’t even planning on voting this year until she realized how much she disliked incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
“I don’t like the two-party system,” she explained. “It feels like tribalism and that you’re demonizing your neighbor.”
Barnes has also felt desensitized by this election, mostly by a deluge of candidate information from both media outlets and political outreach efforts. She mentioned she’s looking forward to not getting anymore political texts or phone calls.
“It’s like choice overload,” Barnes said. “It’s like you go to the grocery store and there’s 12 types of jam and there’s so much, you’re less likely to pick any.”
As for following the election results as they come in Tuesday night, Barnes said she might take a look — if she can make it to the liquor store first.
Voting hit a more familial chord with Kayla Gardener this year. She would have voted earlier, she said, but wanted to go cast her ballot with her mother over at Perry Harrison Elementary School. While she doesn’t expect the end of election season to halt political infighting, she does hope that voters can boot out some disappointing leaders at the national level.
“I know what I’m hoping for,” she said, “and that’s a Biden presidency.”
Inaction following protests against police brutality has concerned Gardener, and that’s one thing she hopes will be addressed by a new administration.
As for Christen Bell, voting day provided a convenient moment to cast her ballot at Perry Harrison. That’s because she recently gave birth to a daughter, she said. These days, she pretty much lives on her newborn’s schedule.
She would have also felt comfortable voting early, she said, but was looking forward to seeing an exhausting election year end. One of her main complaints was the lack of civility between both candidates, which created a “clash of negativity.”
Bell has done her best to stay neutral and give people breathing room when they express their political views. She said she approves of how Gov. Roy Cooper has dealt with the pandemic, but also recognizes how businesses shuddering in the economic fallout can be disheartening.
Bell declined to say which candidate she planned on voting for, but did say she expects to see a landslide victory. Getting to watch the results, though, will depend on how her newborn daughter is feeling.
“We may sleep if she lets us,” Bell said.