Voters’ anxiety is high on the eve of the terrible presidential elections Local news

Voters in Santa Fe County are describing this year’s election as a crucial choice for Americans — the most important of their lives. They cite concerns about election security and threats to democracy. Voters on both sides of the aisle are talking about the potential erosion of rights if their candidate doesn’t win, and describing an overall sense of anxiety over the bitterly contested campaign season now drawing to a close.

Fears are high across the country. A recent poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 Americans are concerned or frustrated with the presidential campaign and its uncertain outcome. More Democrats — about 8 in 10 — reported concern, the Associated Press reported, while about two-thirds of Republicans said they felt anxious.

A rally in support of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, drew a sea of ​​his supporters to a private hangar in Albuquerque on Thursday for a strong showing in the blue state of New Mexico, a state that has yet to turn red in a presidential election in 20 years. . While the crowd was enthusiastic and many in attendance expressed optimism about Trump’s chances on Tuesday, some were concerned.

David Acuña of Rio Rancho raised concerns about ballot box security and the possibility of undocumented immigrants voting to influence the outcome of the election.

“I don’t trust the election process,” he said. “I think some of the ballot boxes are not secured and I’m afraid we’re going to have a lot of illegal voting that could make a difference. I hope not.”

Still, Acuña said he feels “pretty good” about Trump winning the presidential election.

As Trump delivered his remarkable speech in Albuquerque, voters who voted in Santa Fe that day condemned the former president at the polls and said they feared a new Trump presidency.

Lynn Johnson, 75, of Santa Fe County, a Harris supporter, said she sees Tuesday’s election as “a vote for democracy or dictatorship.”

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, confirmed that voters are “deeply concerned” about the outcome of the 2024 election, which features not only high-stakes presidential races, but also congressional races, as well as a number of legislative elections.

“This election has been building up for a long time,” she said.

That this year marks a big election year is reflected in local early voting numbers, with this year’s absentee and early in-person voter turnout exceeding most past presidential election cycles: 56,444 people voted in person or by absentee this year in the county, compared to 45 732 people who voted early or by ballot in 2016.

The 2020 presidential election was an anomaly because the coronavirus pandemic caused a surge in absentee voting, with a total of 73,920 absentee and early votes that year, and only 8,636 people voting in person on Election Day.

“This is the third entry in a trilogy,” said Toulouse Oliver, referring to the third time Trump will be on the ballot, “so I think people, depending on whose side you’re on, were really looking forward to this election and the outcome “.

According to her, voters take these elections personally.

“They are deeply concerned about issues and values ​​that they hold dear and what the future of the country might be depending on who wins this presidential election,” she said, “not to mention, of course, we have the Senate , and the House is on the line, so I think people are paying very close attention, they’re directly connecting this election to themselves and the issues they care about, and they’re looking forward to the outcome.”

Anxiety affects the personal life of voters.

“I’ve heard from people who see their therapist more often,” she said. “They have trouble sleeping. … It just has a very real effect on people, anticipating what’s going to happen.”

Toulouse Oliver said she shares the same anxiety as an American and a voter.

“People are exhausted; they’re ready for this election to be over,” she said. “I think with every election it becomes harder and harder because of the intense partisan political rhetoric that we hear from people to really maintain normalcy in these times.”

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, an Albuquerque Democrat who is running for re-election against Republican Steve Jones to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, said her campaign has tapped into the widespread unease among voters about threats, perceived or otherwise, from the presidency Trump

“I have personally knocked on over 500 doors in the last week and voters are extremely concerned about the outcome of this election,” she said Wednesday during a virtual news conference in response to questions from New Mexican.

“I think the poll doesn’t quite capture the nuance of what New Mexicans and people across the country feel in terms of the threats that Donald Trump poses to our democracy, our fundamental institutions,” she said.

Stansbury said some people are “extremely scared” by the prospect of Trump returning to the White House.

“People fear that if Donald Trump gets back into power, he’s not only going to start arresting and imprisoning people who disagree with him, but he’s going to alienate journalists and the media, that he’s going to unleash white nationalism in our communities. color,” she said.

Stansbury said the machismo exhibited by Trump and his supporters threatens more than just women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies.

“Just a couple of days ago, one of his main supporters and the authors of Project 2025 was talking about disenfranchising women,” she said. “Now, even if it was a joke, it’s not funny. This is about our democracy. It’s about our rights, and it’s about the future of this country.”

Johnson expressed similar sentiments. According to her, she is “terrified” by the results of the elections, which, in her opinion, are the most important in her life.

“This is my country and I don’t want it to disappear and I don’t want to see a fascist president,” she said.

Joshua Mungo, another Santa Fe County voter, is concerned about the erosion of truth in public discourse. In particular, he is concerned about freedom of speech.

“I asked my friends a simple general question: ‘What do you want most?’ What are you looking for? What do you really want in your life?” I want the truth myself,” Mungo said. “I think it’s a bad thing when the truth becomes somewhat relative, and I think that’s where we are in our society.”

Trump has long faced criticism for making false statements or misleading claims, although lying on the campaign trail continues to occur across the political spectrum. After the Trump-Harris debate in September, the media fact-checked the two candidates. The Washington Post reported “55 suspicious claims” since that night, noting that Trump made four more false or suspicious claims than Harris.

According to Kelly Siler, the presidential election is about democracy, and she worries that Trump will surround himself with “sycophants” if his bid to return to the Oval Office is successful. She voted Thursday at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds.

“The last time he was in power, (Trump) was a lot worse than I thought he would be, a lot worse,” she said. “And this time, I think he will be much worse.”

Martin Vellito, a member of the Navajo Nation, said he believes Trump is the best candidate from New Mexico’s indigenous communities, and he is excited about Trump’s return to the White House.

“I think we have a good chance of winning this election,” said Vellito, who attended Trump’s rally in Albuquerque. “There are a lot more supporters now than there were in the past, and I think a lot of people saw what was going on.”

He added: “We had our guns taken away back in the 1800s, and it’s time for us to stand up where we don’t lose our rights again.”

Jude Yutash, 18, of Bosque Farms, another Trump rally attendee, voted for the first time this election. He was surprised to learn that he didn’t need to show ID to vote in New Mexico, but found the process smooth and painless.

Jutas said many of his peers — other young voters — like to debate. “They, close to my age group, are more interested in arguing about it to get people up. They like to go back and forth.”

He kept aloof from the growing partisan divisions. If Harris was holding an event in New Mexico, he said, he would probably attend.

“When you’re trying to decide which party to vote for, it’s very important to consider both sides,” Jutas said. “Most people don’t.”

Although Trump supporters at the raucous rally seemed more positive about the election results than local voters who said they cast ballots for Harris last week, not all Democrats have a sense of doom, a party leader said.

In fact, Henry Roybal, a former Santa Fe County commissioner who is the chairman of the local Democratic Party, said voters express excitement and optimism in the calls he receives.

“I had people calling me (Tuesday) saying, ‘Are we going to have a viewing party?’ ” he said. “People are just excited. … You can’t even measure the energy that’s coming out right now.

“People are excited. They’re happy,” Roybal said. “They are confident that we are on the way to victory.”

Staff writer Margaret O’Hara contributed to this report.