Extremism Nightmare: Much of New York City votes blue, if they can vote at all

“I voted all for Democrats. Because Republicans should be called repugnants,” said Cesar Chelala, 82, while sitting in the center of the Astor Place during a mid autumn Monday.

The fear of Republican extremism is personal for many voters and evident in the severity of language when addressing the party.

Tomorrow is the Midterm election, and while voters have various opinions on the issues of this election, the importance of the 2022 Midterms cannot be overstated. Voters in New York City are vocal about their values in the upcoming election, and these ideas provide insight for tomorrow’s results.

Many voters express concerns on growing right-wing extremism, and are voting to prevent further Republican control in both the state and the nation. “For New York, the Republican candidate is supposed to be certifiably insane, so that’s my issue,” says Katie Scholars, a New School Professor of Journalism. “Nationally, I want to get the extreme right out of our government, which is impossible.”

The fear of Republican extremism is personal for many voters and evident in the harshity of language when addressing the party. “I voted all for democrats. Because Republicans should be called repugnants,” said Cesar Chelala, 82.

The upcoming midterms are critical in deciding the political landscape of the U.S, and voters see beyond localized issues, focusing more on the nation as a whole. “I’m one of those people that think we’re fighting off a right wing takeover,” says Mary Pratt, a retired NYU professor.

For most New York City voters, voting blue is incredibly important in order to uphold certain social or equity values.

“I [voted] just democrat down the ballot,” said Sabrina Pearson, 27, a student at Stern whose focus is on keeping some people out of office rather than getting people in office.

Some voters like Ali, a 41 year old firefighter, who voted early, are in dilemmas concerning social liberalism vs. fiscal conservatism. “I don’t have a party, it’s always rough for me. Do you want cheaper gas prices and hurt the planet or be a nice person [and] have higher gas prices!” he said.

On the other hand, those who would normally vote red are discouraged by the large democrat turnout. Superintendent Brian Donato, 37, is not voting because of this reason. “Nothing is going to change. It’s overly biased.” Randy Greene, 45, a construction worker who sat by Donato was also not voting. “I think the turnout will be high because of this bail reform thing…Criminals are getting out, crime is high,” said Greene.

“What issues are not weighing in?” answered Sarah, 41, when asked about the specific problems about the current political climate. “Climate is really important, woman’s rights, as a feminist I want equal rights for everyone.” She said. Her ballot is currently in the mail.

For absentee voters like Sarah, mail-in ballots haven’t been the most reliable or accessible. In order to register for an absentee ballot, a voter must register and request a mail-in ballot to their out-of-state or international address. For voters that aren’t as familiar with this process, such as new or younger voters, absentee voting proves difficult.

“I don’t know if I can vote,” said Isabelle, 19. “I registered, but then I went online and it wasn’t listed as active.” For Isabelle, who’s registered to vote in Massachusetts but studies in New York, voting in-person is virtually impossible. “It doesn’t seem like I was approved.”

“The site was not working…I don’t know if it went through,” said Adyha Singh, 19, who submitted her absentee ballot for Georgia on the deadline date. She sat outside of the NYU Stern School of Business. “I’m mostly voting by party lines because of how polarizing things are right now.” She feels economic policy is an important issue.

Spencer Carey, 20, who sat next to Singh, had previously voted in Connecticut, but had no plans to vote for Midterms. “I feel like my vote would be an uneducated vote.”

“I’m honestly not informed,” said Irene, a first time voter. “I think I’ll vote.” Irene, who’s from California, would be unable to vote unless she’s requested a mail-in ballot to her new New York address. However, she hasn’t been equipped with this information, and it hasn’t been made accessible to her. Now, even if she did decide to vote, she would be unable to.

“Which problem isn’t weighing in on me!” said Eric Cook, an everyday artist, who will be voting tomorrow.