Norwood News caught up with voters on Election Day, Nov. 8, to get a feel for their top voting issues. We first spoke to some voters and one poll site worker at P.S. 15, Institute for Environmental Learning poll site, located at 2195 Andrews Avenue North, in University Heights.

 

Mildred Perez, 44, told us she did not have a straightforward voting experience. “I usually go to the school. I don’t remember the name of the school right now, but it’s on Aqueduct [Avenue] and 183rd,” she said. “They told me to come here to vote and this is the address they gave me. They said P/M.S. 390. This is not M.S. 390 so I don’t know where to go to vote.”

 

Asked if she thought she would still have time to cast her vote despite the last minute change, she said, “Yes, if I find the place, I will go vote more than ever now, because I don’t know…maybe, you know, all these changes….They don’t….like….they should notify us first and I was not notified. I went to the place I usually go, and they sent me here, and now it’s not here either.”

 

Perez continued, “The Republicans don’t want us to vote so they are misplacing us.” Asked why she thought this, she said, “Because I guess they want to discourage people from voting. I went to two different places. Now, someone else [would say] ‘Oh, you know I tried. I’m not going to keep trying,’ but I’m going to find the place. I just need the right address.”

 

Evelin Bautista, 50, was also at P.S. 15 and said she changed from voting Democrat to Republican due to crime. “The Bronx now is crazy,” she said, in part. “We need change. We need something new. I’ve been living here for 26 years. I’m Dominican. It’s the first time I saw a lot of problems in this community. This community is crazy, a lot of drugs, the teenagers use guns. They don’t want to go to the school, you know? Now the city is not safe.”

 

Meanwhile, poll site coordinator, Amelia Rose, said the center had been busy since six o’clock. “I’ve been at the site a long time, and I’ve never seen it this busy: old, young, Black, [inaudible], handicap, everyone’s coming out to vote.” she said. According to the latest available voter turnout count from NYC Board of Elections, turnout in The Bronx was at least 186,559, compared to 402,824 in Queens, 520,604 in Brooklyn, 136,409 on Staten Island, and 416,059 in Manhattan.

 

Rose added that early voting was also busy. “I’ve never seen people really come out to vote on early voting. You normally get maybe two, three people a day, but it’s like 50/60 a day,” she said. Meanwhile, Troy Atkins, 59, said he comes out for every election. “I don’t miss elections; too many people died for that. Plus, I’m a Black man in America. I’d have to be crazy not to vote.” Asked if he was comfortable to share who he voted for, he said, “Democrats, Hochul.” We asked if he felt the Democrats did a good [or bad] job with their messaging, and if he was aware of who the different candidates were.

 

“Like I said, I’m politically active. I don’t go out like I used to but anyway, I read everything, listen to everything, all sides from Fox to CBS, whatever, to get the balance and the bottom line is the Republicans have gone [expletive] crazy.” he said. “They’ve lost their minds and it’s not that the Democrats are all that, but it’s the lesser of two evils, and I wouldn’t even say the Democrats are evil. The Republicans are the most evil at this point. It’s ridiculous. I mean, I can’t do it, you know?”

 

Atkins said Hochul came in on a technicality, held the Democratic line, and did mostly what the people around her asked her to do. “So that’s what you’re supposed to do. [She] didn’t come up with any brand new initiatives or bring anything to the table that’s so wow!” he said. “But it’s better than what they [Republicans] tried to do. I’m sorry, I just can’t do it, you know?”

 

Asked what was the number one issue for him in the election, Atkins said, “It’s just just what I told you; keeping the evil [expletive] people out. It wasn’t even about the issues, because they’re evil on all the issues. It’s like, Republican or Conservative, they’ll tell you, ‘Oh, right to life, and we’re going to tell you what to do with your baby,’ but as soon as it’s born, we’re going to cut you off any kind of support. So, that’s all crazy [expletive]. Yeah, I can’t listen to that. I’ve been around here too long.”

 

Asked if there was another way Democrats could have made their pitch to voters which might have made people feel more excited to vote for them, Atkins said, “They need to be just as ruthless as Republicans. Don’t get me wrong. We know, based on studies, that attack ads work, and going negative works, but you wait too late. You got to be the sons of bitches that they [Republicans] are.”

 

He said Democratic voters know who their candidates are and why they are voting for them. “Any ad is not going to sway me because if you go nasty with that ad, other people are going to go nasty. You have to fight fire with fire. That’s like when Dinkins was the mayor, not just because he was a Black man, he was just a very gentle man, a very genteel man, very soft. Meanwhile, they’re kicking mud in your face! Stop! You got to kick some mud or at least, throw a mud pie back at them. No, you can’t just keep on taking the high road sometimes. You got to go at ’em, and they [Democrats] don’t do that, and that’s what happened. That’s why it’s so close. This is a Democratic state, four to one. Why the [expletive] should Hochul be doing this. Are you crazy?”

 

A police officer who was voting at the same site who declined to give his name but showed us his badge, told us, “I voted for what I think is right. Right now, crime….there’s bail reform, and innocent people’s lives are in jeopardy in this city right now. Don’t like the way it’s heading, so I kind of went against the grain with certain things.” He added, “Now, with both candidates for governor, they have a lot of flaws in between them. This guy [Lee Zeldin] with his pro-choice [pro-life], and your abortion rights and stuff like that, I don’t like it but, I like where you stand on crime.”

 

He continued, “The other lady is just too lax, and too liberal on crime. Crime affects people in this neighborhood. Crime affects people in this city, especially to communities and people of color. This ridiculous bail reform system.. It’s ridiculous. Gun charges…..loaded guns back on the street within 24 hours. It’s not cool, man. It’s almost going to lead up to, like, a purge. Know what I mean? So, it’s almost like the lesser of two evils, man, where you don’t know what you’re gonna get, because everybody stands for something, and then, when they get there, something totally different, you know? But let’s hope we get some change coming, man. It’s ridiculous.”

 

Jessica Sutherland, 29, from University Heights, appeared somewhat dejected when she spoke about the voting issues that were important to her, but said it was important for her to vote. “I’ve been paying attention to politics more than usual, more than I have, so I want to vote,” she said.

 

Asked what were her top voting issues, Sutherland said, “Definitely the violence, and just the crime rate in general and then also, the schools…..more access, more funding for education. So, I’ve been paying attention to the ones [candidates] who have been vocalizing their interests in helping to improve those systems.”

 

Asked if there was anything else she wanted to share about her voting experience, she added, “I am not happy with my choice…..for either…any choice, but I feel like kind of the lesser of two evils type of situation, but I know that voting really matters on the local level, more than… Everyone always pays attention to the presidency and all that, but the stuff that affects us in our community… and voter turnout is really slow, so I think that’s really important for the community to get involved with.”

We also spoke to voters inside Glad Tidings Assembly of God voting center, located at 2 Van Cortlandt Avenue East in Jerome Park. Gary Camuso, 65, from Bedford Park said he registered to vote very early in life and has been voting since he was 18. “I feel voting is very important, and I do it every year, regardless of…it’s off-presidential election, and that’s why we’re here tonight,” he said.

 

Asked if there was one or multiple issues he was concerned about, Camuso said, “I think the most important issue is that right now, election denial is just one of the most important problems that I think we’re facing.” Asked if he felt the candidates who he voted for will help him, he said, “Absolutely! And I think that if any of them happen to lose that they’ll rightfully accept it. That’s it! That’s the will of the people.” We also asked if Camuso had any words for those who might be on the fence about voting. He said, “It’s definitely worthwhile to vote; it’s very easy to simply skip out on it but your vote counts. One vote actually counts.”

 

Luis Ortiz, 50, from Bedford Park “on the Grand Concourse,” said he felt like he needed to vote. “It seems to be very important,” he said. “I hear that things [election races] are close, so I just need to make sure that my voice is heard. That way, I can’t say later, ‘I don’t like what was chosen,’ because I put my word in to choose.” Asked if there was one or multiple issues that brought him out to vote, he replied, “Multiple issues. I believe in what Kathy Hochul is doing and I believe in what she wants to do and the direction she wants to go to. So, I’m voting for that.”

 

We asked Ortiz what he saw as the biggest need for himself and his family. “I guess financial control, making sure that things are where they need to be,” he said. “Things are getting out of control. Things are getting very expensive. There’s also a lot of taxation going on. One of my biggest things is what our old president [Trump] did, what he did with the taxes. Basically, what he did really affects New Yorkers more than anybody else because we already have high taxes. Some of us pay taxes for our property, and the way he did things, we no longer can get back money for those taxes that we’re already paying. He made it so it’s hard for us to actually get something back from our taxes. I’m not sure how to explain that.”

 

Asked if he meant he was not getting enough back for what he was paying in, tax-wise, he said, “Right, exactly.” In terms of other tax programs passed under the Trump administration, as previously reported, according to New York State’s Empire State Development (ESD) agency, the State participates in the so-called “Opportunity Zone” community development program, offered through the Tax Cuts and Job Acts of 2017.

 

The program encourages private investment in low-income urban and rural communities, in exchange for tax relief. However, details are scant as to what such investments cover, and how they are measured in terms of actually alleviating poverty in the selected neighborhoods. New York State recommended 514 New York census tracts to the U.S. Department of the Treasury be designated as Opportunity Zones.

 

Norwood News previously reached out to NYS Empire State Development (ESD), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Treasury, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), and NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and no department was able to provide us with exact details of the Opportunity Zone programs in The Bronx nor who the contracted private developers were.

 

Asked what he would say to those people who choose not to vote, Ortiz said, “I’d tell them to vote. Every vote does count. I had a friend today who actually said his [was] one versus, like, 54 other people or whatever, but if every other person says, ‘I’m not going to vote, because it’s not going to count,’ that’s a lot of people who don’t come out to vote.” He added, “I think everybody just needs to have a positive view about it and expect that their vote does count, and to encourage other people who they might know that may not want to vote, to also vote, because all of our voices together do count.”

 

Jeffrey Ewart, 63, said he votes in every election. “And definitely this election, you need to go and vote because we can’t lose the Senate or the House,” he said, clarifying that by “we” he meant Democrats. “We, America,” he said. [The Republicans won control of the House of Representatives on Nov. 17.] “It’s crazy storming the Capitol, all kind of hate, all kind of Roe v. Wade gone, and even that Roe v. Wade, that’s important, but just general stuff…social security and Medicaid, all of that.”

He added that he was getting ready to retire soon. “Like anybody else, I’d like to have social security that I worked for. I’d like to have Medicaid, all of that stuff,” he said. “So, we need to make sure that we control those two branches.” Asked if the voting process had been smooth, Ewart said, “I’ve been coming here 20 years, and it’s always great coming here, in and out.”

 

Asked what he would say to those who are on the fence about voting, Ewart said, “It’s a commonsense issue to me. There’s no other way to go.” He added, “I mean, you want to go with crazy and stuff that ain’t true? And the abortion rights? Like I said, Social Security, all those things, then you really have no choice. You got to come out here because it’s going to be a fight to the bitter end.”

 

Treat Sanders, 30, from Bedford Park, “on the Concourse,” said he usually votes. “I’ve voted for the last five years but honestly, after 2016, I felt like I got a lot more politically involved, and I felt this would be a good time to make sure I stay involved,” he said. “Out of the options I have, I’d rather I have Kathy Hochul.”

 

Asked if there was one or several issues which were foremost in his mind when casting his ballot, Ewart said, “As far as the gubernatorial race, it was more about the bigger picture.” Asked what local issues drove him to go out and vote, he said, “For Bedford Park, I’m more in favor of affordable housing, so [policies] that allow for more units that makes sense, but we do need more housing. It would alleviate many of the underlying problems we have in the city.”

 

We asked if he felt the candidates who he voted for could keep those priorities in mind, if elected. He said, “I feel they can at least give steps in the right direction because it’s a complicated issue. One thing leads into the other, so just building affordable housing won’t just automatically solve the problem. There are other issues involved. But I think that affordable housing will help with the homeless problem and the rent issue.” Asked what he would say to those people who do not feel a need to come out and vote, he replied, “The way I see it is, if you didn’t make an effort to change an outcome, then don’t complain about the outcome: simple as that.”

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.