Long lines formed in New York even before the polling stations opened. At least in Manhattan – there is still little rush in the Bronx. The mood is tense everywhere. Many fear unrest.
By Antje Passenheim, ARD-Studio New York
Long before sunrise, the church on Manhattan’s affluent Upper West Side is busy. In the cold, the line is already two blocks away. The people waiting do not want to go to the church service, but to vote.
Stefan, a naturalized German, is right at the front: “Last year at ten to six there were three people in front of me. Today it’s 30,” he says. Every choice is important, but this one is especially important. And the woman behind him in line explains why it is for her: “The country is so divided. We need a political leader who reunites us and reminds us that we have more in common than we share.”
Democratic stronghold
For many New Yorkers, this is not the incumbent president. In the Democratic stronghold, Republicans are not expecting many votes. The last time the Big Apple elected a Conservative to the White House was Ronald Reagan in 1984.
But the blue election, the democratic one, is not guaranteed, says the 24-year-old election worker Juan in Brooklyn: “I want to earn money here, but also help my country. I think Trump could win this election. That is bad. But many People are very confused right now. “
Latino votes could be decisive
But there is slack in front of his polling station. It’s between blocks of public housing. The area is mainly inhabited by low-income people. It’s also empty in front of the polling stations in the Bronx. Biden and Trump alike vie for the voices of the Latinos who live here. They could influence the election result just as much as first-time voters and women – including those from the suburbs of the Midwest.
“This time it feels ugly”
James Wines moved to New York from Flint, Michigan. He waits in front of a polling station in Brooklyn and compares the mood of the voters with the year 2008: “When Obama was elected, the voter queues stretched over several blocks.”
But this time it feels different than “Yes, we can”: “I wish I could say it. But this time it feels ugly. I don’t trust Trump to do the right thing,” he says.
Police officers and private security troops are ready
Many New Yorkers fear there might be riots. Many therefore prefer to stay at home for the next few days. The Big Apple has been completely covered since the previous night. Shops, hotels and banks protect themselves against possible looters with wooden walls in front of the windows, should there be riots. Roadblocks slow down traffic around Trump Tower. Thousands of police officers, private security troops and citizens’ groups are ready.
