At the Plumas gym on Monroe Street today, with a beautiful golden leafed tree framing the entrance, there was a steady stream of voters throughout the morning on Election Day 2024.
Jennifer, a 65–year-old retired local ski instructor found the voting experience smooth, opting to vote in person despite receiving her mail-in ballot.
“I think it's really more important for Nevadans than maybe some of the other country,” she said of voting in a swing county in a swing state with razor thin margins in polling for the top of the ticket showdown between Vice President Democratic nominee Kamala Harris versus former Republican President Donald Trump.
“Prices, grocery prices. Kamala Harris has mentioned that a few times,” she said of her own concerns. “It went up during the pandemic and it never really came down. I think the economy is really strong right now. I think the current administration has done a good job. The stock market is doing great. So I'd like to see that continue clearly. Women's rights, women's reproductive rights are top of the top of the ticket, for sure,” she mentioned as her other priorities.
“Don’t take it for granted that you live in a democracy. It's your right living here in America to vote, and I think it's your duty. It is not hard to register to vote,” she said. Even if not registered yet, voters can do so even on Election Day until 7 p.m. at one of 50 plus local voting centers with local ID.
“I think because we live in a democracy, and our life here is so comfortable, we get complacent,” she warned. “And just take a look around the world and how some other countries are that don't have that opportunity, you'll appreciate voting a lot more.”
Tyler Thompson (left), a 29-year-old restaurant manager and rap music producer said he voted due to encouragement from his grandfather. He said environmental issues are at the top of his own concerns.
“A lot more pressure I feel to vote,” he said of this election cycle. “A lot more people that usually don't vote are voting and so yeah, it just kind of feels like everybody's joining together and voting, really exercising their right.”
He was reminded of electioneering rules, which prevent any voter from wearing political clothing while entering a voting center.
“It was an interesting father, son, kind of little dilemma in front of me, it was interesting, and a little chaotic,” he explained. “They were refusing to take off their hats, their political hats. So it was a little interesting, but the staff handled it well.”
Heather Mandel, 71, a self described semi-retired tax accountant from Northern California, emphasized the importance of voting, especially in this transitional period.
Mandel appreciated the new poll pads being used, even though she was hesitant at first. “I was not sure, because I haven't done the machine thing before, but no, it worked fine,” Mandel said.
Immigration is one of her main concerns.
“I think we are a country of immigrants, but I really think that there's a legal process available, and I think that should be made sure that that's honestly being made available to people so that we don't have so many illegal [immigrants] feeling they have to break the law to be here. So I think it needs to be, I don't know, streamlined in some way, yeah, but I'm really all about doing things legally and by the law. So, yeah, so that's important to me,” she said.
She says she’s noticed divisions even within her own family.
“Families are divided. Unfortunately, obviously, I'm of the older generation. I have some more conservative views. Doesn't mean I don't love my great nieces and nephews, but because I'll listen to them, yeah, I'll hear them out, but they won't let me talk, you know,” she concluded.