Slow National Results, Late Nevada Voting Make Local Voters Nervous
Patricia Garcia, Autumn Brewster and Abby Ocampo report on a late voting and election results night in Nevada and for the rest of the country as results trickle in.
Late Voting, Nervous Democrats and a Candidate’s Appearance
Nearby the downtown Reno library polling center, Democrat Patricia Ackerman, who is running for Nevada’s Congressional Second District against incumbent Mark Amodei, made a late appearance, hoping to encourage her supporters to keep voting as polls were closing.
“We feel very encouraged, we feel very positive about this race. This race definitely has a different tone to it,” she said. “He’s [Mark Amodei] never been attacked this hard. It’s all on his record. People are listening to the messages. They’re listening to the fact that our [current] Congress member hasn’t been serving us so well. It feels very positive.”
Nevada’s results were delayed as there were long lines in Clark County and voting there was given an extra hour due to delays at several polling stations in the morning. Vote counting cannot start until polls close across the state.
A non-voter who was wearing a button for the top of the Democratic ticket, 17-year-old Roslyn Macy, was feeling anxious. “Just knowing that some states are starting to lean towards the Republican side, but overall, I’m hoping we can pull through,” she said.
Slowed Down TV Results and Barricades Set up Around City Hall
“I did my part and fulfilled my responsibility as an American woman,” Yalitza Gonzales, a Latinx registered Democrat, said, while watching returns come in on ABC News.
Gonzales was still hopeful Biden would end up winning the required 270 electoral votes, despite calls he had failed to win the important states of Florida and Ohio. Even as police set up new barricades around City Hall in downtown Reno, Gonzales also did not think there would be riots.
“If Trump won his re-election, I would feel worried for our security, well being, and waltz of life for the next four years,” Gonzales said. “I know Biden will bring a peace of mind knowing we are in the hands of a well educated, caring and humane candidate, and will bring a feel of security for the American people.”
Fears of Riots and the Country’s Future
Another registered Democrat watching ABC News, Robbie Whitney, felt less confident on the overall situation.
“I would be fearful if he won,” Whitney said of a possible Trump re-election. “Reactions on both sides would be crazy rioting. I cannot take another four years of this. It’s going to be too much on a lot of people,” Whitney said.
A LatinX registered Republican who preferred to remain anonymous was watching Fox News and googling election results.
“I still think Trump is going to win… and yes Biden is in the lead but won’t go up much,” the Republican said of the electoral count around 9:00 p.m. Reno time.
She believes some people will try to riot tonight, and if not tonight this week for sure. If Trump wins she thinks it would be worse because the people who riot really do not like Trump, she said.
She believes there will be more control from the government and less freedom on religion, speech and the right to bear arms if Biden wins.
Many pundits and stock analysts said they feared a tight race which could now drag on for hours or even days if several key states remain too close to call, leading to possible drawn out legal battles and recounts.
