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Sylvia Knutsen

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Where do you live/are you based currently and how long have you been there? Are you in a red, blue or swing state?

I live in Brooklyn, NY. I have lived here for five years but lived in NYC for 13 years in total.  New York State is a blue state.

Are there more Trump signs or Harris signs in your neighbourhood? Can you give us a rough ratio?

The neighbourhood I live in has generally been considered a Republican stronghold, but that has seen some change over the years as more diverse populations have moved into the area. Many years ago, it used to be called Little Norway, due to the large number of Norwegians that lived in the area, now it’s home to NYC’s largest Palestinian population. So things have changed, but there is still a strong old school New York population here too.

I have not seen a lot of signs for Trump or Harris in the neighbourhood if I am honest. But the few (literally maybe two or three) that I have seen were Harris signs – which I was very pleased/relieved to see.  I have seen a few Trump bumper stickers dotted around the neighbourhood though and a few people walking around with Trump clothing on. 

How would you describe the mood where you are as the election approaches?

Heightened, is the word that comes to mind. There seems to be a heightened sense of anxiety, worry, fear, anger, but also a heightened sense of hope too. All very hopeful for a Kamala win!

Do you have an idea of how popular advance voting has been where you are?

As of 10/29/24 NY had received 1,381,913 early votes. I’ll be adding my vote this week, my first time voting in a federal election!

Will you be following the coverage on election day? What will you be watching, and from where?

Yes I will be following it, watching from home. Usually flip around the different news sites (CNN, NBC etc), but stay away from Fox News. Also social media, hate to say it, but can usually find great news coverage on there too.

And… who do you reckon will win?

My hope is that Kamala Harris wins. I’m so over hearing about and from that man.

Where do you live/are you based currently and how long have you been there? Are you in a red, blue or swing state?

I’m in Virginia in the suburbs of Washington DC, which is a blue state and a predominantly blue area.

Are there more Trump signs or Harris signs in your neighbourhood? Can you give us a rough ratio?

It’s split very evenly. I’d say 50/50.

How would you describe the mood where you are as the election approaches?

Wariness on both sides of the fence! People commonly joke to me about moving to New Zealand if the candidate they don’t want to win is elected.

There is a feeling that this election in particular is a crossroads for the country, more so than in the past. There is also a sense of apathy from maybe 30% of people I talk to, who remark “Out of 330 million Americans, how did we get these two candidates?!”

Do you have an idea of how popular advance voting has been where you are?

I’m not too sure, I haven’t asked anyone about their intended method of voting.

Will you be following the coverage on election day? What will you be watching, and from where? 

Of course, with bated breath! Switching channels between news channels on the couch at home (with a strong drink).

And… who do you reckon will win?

I hope Kamala Harris will win, but my gut tells me Trump will be elected.

Heather*

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Where do you live/are you based currently and how long have you been there? Are you in a red, blue or swing state?

I’m in the swing state of Pennsylvania and have lived here for nearly 10 years.

Are there more Trump signs or Harris signs in your neighbourhood? Can you give us a rough ratio?

In my neighbourhood, you wouldn’t know we were in a swing state. It’s very much a blue bubble. Right now it’s a mix of Halloween decorations and Harris Walz signs, even a few old Biden signs still hanging around. I haven’t seen any Trump support.

How would you describe the mood where you are as the election approaches?

Everyone is feeling anxious. I’m looking forward to it being over, but also I think regardless of the outcome on November 5 – if we even know the outcome – there’s likely to be even more turmoil over the next few months.

Do you have an idea of how popular advance voting has been where you are?

I don’t!

Will you be following the coverage on election day? What will you be watching, and from where? 

For the sake of my general wellbeing I’ll try my best to avoid watching any coverage on election day. I think I’ll go for a long bike ride, watch some Great British Bake Off, and try not to check in online too often.

And… who do you reckon will win?

I genuinely have no idea. It seems too close to call. The enthusiasm and energy around the Harris campaign feels a lot like the Clinton campaign in 2016, and that didn’t end the way I thought it would. So I’m trying to be prepared for anything.

Jason*

BOULDER, COLORADO

Where do you live/are you based currently and how long have you been there? Are you in a red, blue or swing state?

We live in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder is quite far left and a definite blue city. The state of Colorado is Blue due to the majority of the population living in the capital Denver and other cities. The rural areas of Colorado are red. As you can see from the graph below it used to be a red-leaning swing state but from 2008 onwards it has become pretty solidly blue. 

Are there more Trump signs or Harris signs in your neighbourhood? Can you give us a rough ratio?

In Boulder it would be 99% Harris. Very occasionally you see someone at an intersection holding a Trump sign and very very rarely you might see one on a lawn.

How would you describe the mood where you are as the election approaches?

Depression and disbelief that it is a remotely close race. Most people in this highly blue area can’t understand why people would vote for someone that has had so many previous staff members come out and say they are totally unfit to be president.  It feels like a choice between a psychopath and someone sane, rather than blue vs red.

Do you have an idea of how popular advance voting has been where you are?

As of eight days ago, 635k of the nearly 4 million active registered voters in the state have returned a ballot. This is only about half what was received at the same point four years ago in 2020 but that was probably due to the Covid restrictions in 2020 or the general mood of people being nervous to leave their houses because of Covid.

Will you be following the coverage on election day? What will you be watching, and from where? 

I think just on the New York Times app. We don’t have a TV and I am not going to go to a friend’s house or pub to watch it.

And… who do you reckon will win?

Unfortunately I think Trump might win.  Things look so tight in the polls in the swing states and the polls have under estimated his support the last couple of elections.

Jack Baker 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Where do you live/are you based currently and how long have you been there? Are you in a red, blue or swing state?

I’ve been in New York for just over a month. Before moving up here, I was in Florida, a red-leaning swing state.

Are there more Trump signs or Harris signs in your neighbourhood? Can you give us a rough ratio?

In New York, I’ve seen zero signage for either candidate. It’s like there’s a law against political advertising here. In reality, New York is blue, so pouring money into advertising would be futile. However, in Orlando, Florida, people wore political slogan tees like Disney merchandise. Republican billboards loomed over every highway. I’ve heard there have been viscerally transphobic anti-Kamala advertisements on television. Although there was a surprising amount of HARRIS-WALZ promotion, Republican signs dominated at a ratio of 7:3.

Tell us about the Trump rally you went to… What did you see/hear? Was there anything that stood out to you, and what brought you there?

Morbid fascination led me to the Trump rally. The American ability to be stupid is supremely underestimated. I needed to see the cult-like phenomenon in person.

The main demographic was leathery-skinned white people, half in formalwear, the rest in America First graphic tees. Several streets closed, but that wasn’t enough: Republicans and libertarians clogged every footpath in a mile radius. On some roads, Trump supporters moved fast and erratic like disturbed fire ants. Other streets were cemetery-still, the crowds hypnotised, waiting for their hero.

There were as many Israeli flags as there were journalists. There were more journalists than protesters, but the protesters made themselves known. Behind every street interview, they held single-word signs: “RAPIST”, “PSYCHOPATH”, “FASCIST”, “NAZI”. A teenage boy played ‘American Idiot’ on his guitar as a woman prayed for America’s salvation. Youth with coloured hair paraded flags – one read “DON’T TREAD ON MY UTERUS”. Another had Hitler’s face superimposed over Trump.

A surprising number of Trump supporters had thick, non-American accents. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they wore the same red hats as everyone else. A group of men with cerebral palsy held “MASS DEPORTATION NOW” signs. Hundreds of other people rolled through the streets on wheelchairs too, all blinged out in Trump merch. 

If you observed the average rally goer long enough, you’d see the same sadness you and I carry. They bite their lips in fear. They believe this election will bring the end of democracy. They want nothing more than to protect their loved ones. Their worries are hidden behind patriotism, but still, their hands tremble.

I left the rally early. At the train station, a man in a tattered blazer had lined a walkway with Christian signs, one reading “HELL is a REAL PLACE.” He noticed me staring at him, tapped his microphone, then shuffled towards me. “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?” he preached through microphone feedback. I smiled and wished him luck. I felt too hollow to get out of bed again that evening.

How would you describe the mood where you are as the election approaches?

There’s deep sadness and fear. Few young people move to New York to converse about politics, other than a handful of passionate students. The transplants I know are escape artists, they’ve fled their conservative hometowns and avoid the dull weight of daily struggles by partying – they want to escape this election cycle too. Eighteen to 25-year-olds seem more concerned about DJ lineups than the election. But the party-girl facade is tissue-thin. People feel guilty for not being able to help those in need. They’re appalled by their leaders’ apathy, terrified for the future of Palestinian children. Faces on the train look more cynical and vacant than ever.

There’s a collective understanding that no matter what NYC locals do, little will change for them. The privilege of being a lower-middle-class person in New York City is that they’ll often be unaffected by changes in state rights. Gun laws are tight in NYC, and trains are reliable. Finding free STI tests, public parks or low-budget food is no challenge. But even with those privileges, hope for a better future has passed its expiry date.

Outside of my social circle, there’s been an increase of aggression and downright lunacy from all political standpoints. Last night, my roommate came home flustered – by his account, a stranger cornered him at the train station and shouted, “Fuck you, you white supremacist piece of shit; I can smell a far-right fascist a mile away.”

I witnessed a screaming match between two fashionable middle-aged women two days ago. They argued about whether the police should have more funding, but within minutes, they berated each other’s morals. A young man in a cinema lobby said he’s cried about the state of US politics every night this week. A woman at a dive bar told me the election has caused her uninterrupted suicidal ideation.

When I was in Florida last month, many of the queer people had already accepted defeat. They focused on the positives of what a Trump presidency may bring; “hopefully, he’ll send less money offshore”, “maybe gas prices will go down if he wins”, “perhaps accelerationism could be a good thing”, “I mean, my pockets were full when he was president”.

At a gay bar, I asked some acquaintances how they felt about the Trump rally. There was no table slapping or call to action; there was no movement at all. Eyes glazed over, and limbs went limp and a girl in black told me: “It’s pretty sad. We’re on the brink of history, and we’re fucked either way.” Lethargic laughter and pity smiles were all the group could muster. The only unity the American government can bring is a shared sense of detachment.

Do you have an idea of how popular advance voting has been where you are?

I know about 10 people who have voted early. Their main reason was to dodge the crowds and crazies. As marginalised people, they’re concerned for their safety this election season. From the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, 2017, to the January 6 Capitol riots, displays of white supremacy have only intensified. Americans live in a subconscious state of fight or flight. When will the next act of domestic terrorism happen? Who will it harm? Will the police protect or arrest me if I’m targeted? Those questions are why many of my friends are staying home on election day.

A close friend left New York to vote early. She returned to Virginia, her hometown, because her vote “matters more” there. She was unaware that you could vote early until this year. Her primary reason for doing so was to save the money and time of canvassers.

A friend overseas voted early, as an absentee. The process involved printing out a ballot, photographing her vote, and sending it via email. The North Carolina voting portal was down when she first tried to vote online. She couldn’t find information about which file types are accepted. The experience left her feeling “unnerved” – technology felt unreliable and easily compromised.

Many people seem disinterested in voting altogether. Queer artists and party goers have given up on the two-party system. Both parties want to spend more on the military. They both want to criminalise homelessness. Some people have become single-issue voters, with no desire to support a third-party candidate, either. They will not stand for funding a genocide, even at the cost of their rights and freedoms. Besides the rare protester, no one I’ve met has wanted to vote blue. 

Most discussions about early voting have been… memes. Foreigners have posted their international passports alongside voting ballots, pretending to have voted illegally. Most of the ballots are votes for Trump, as a critique of not needing an ID to vote. The memes lean into the conspiracy that Democrats have allowed mass illegal immigration to get more votes.

Will you be following the coverage on election day? What will you be watching, and from where? 

On election day, I plan to people-watch somewhere crowded. I’ll wear my Kamala OutKast shirt. I’ll likely get overwhelmed and end up at a friend’s house instead. I’ll try to stay up to date on the election coverage so I can make jokes on my Instagram story.

And… who do you reckon will win?

I don’t want to jinx it, but my bets are on Hailey Welch (the Hawk Tuah girl) winning the election. Ideally Jill Stein in second place.

*Last name omitted or pseudonym used