Reno voters entering, leaving polls with mixed feelings
At Mamie Towles Elementary School, the parking lot has filled up and cars line Kings Row on both sides. The medium-sized line plods along at a steady pace. After months upon months of media hype, the day has finally come and votes are finally being cast. However, the air is tense and the smiles feel forced. It is clear that Reno voters are less than satisfied about this year.
For Margie Chambers, the leadup to this election is unfortunate.
“It sucks- it absolutely sucks,” said Chambers. “Anytime I go online and read something, it’s bad. All the negativity is terrible.”
Other voters are drawing from past experiences, such as Democrat Greg Ryssman.
“I remember the Bush-Gore election- and that was ridiculous,” said Ryssman. “People have forgotten how crazy this can get, especially in the U.S. I also spent some time in Mexico during their 2012 election, and we could take some cues from them. There was a lot more involvement, a lot more party support.”
The Washoe County Registrar of Voters shows a total of 264,801 eligible voters for this election. For the previous three elections, voter turnout for the state of Nevada has hovered between 55 and 57 percent.
That means that based on past results, over 100,000 Washoe County citizens will vote in this election in some form or another. But for those who have already voted, they feel uneasy.
“I’m nervous, so so nervous. And scared about how people will react, and that’s to either candidate.” said Ryssman.
For first-time voters like 21-year-old Democrat Gregory Teague, this election was not exactly the best introduction to the voting world.
“This is my first time voting, and I just feel so underwhelmed,” said Teague. “I’ll be happy when this is over, and I hope the next elections are more positive.”
Because Nevada is one of 11 highly coveted swing states, it is anybody’s game. Both parties campaign heavily. According to the Registrar of Voters, the Republican and Democratic parties in Washoe County are separated by less than 3,000 voters. It’s no surprise that candidates have bombarded Reno citizens in order to sway their votes at any cost.
When asked how she felt now that her vote was in, Margie Chambers took a deep breath and paused for a few seconds.
“God will put whoever was meant to be in office,” said Chambers.
