This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Early voting ends at noon today ahead of Tuesday’s midterm election.
Local races include candidates for state, county, and township positions, as well as school board and congressional seats.
Voter turnout on Friday at the Kosciusko County Justice Building in Warsaw saw a significant line at times, but traffic on Saturday was more like a steady trickle shortly after the noon hour.
News Now Warsaw pulled aside a few voters Saturday and asked what is motivating them to vote. All were willing to talk and most offerede their names.
Kayden Mathers, 28, said affordability is his top issue and rattled off some of the big ones, including gas prices that he’s upset with.
He was asked to gauge the mood of the electorate.
“I think people are pretty pissed off … on both sides. I don’t know if that’s good for the country. I think that’s generally how people have been the last 10 years since I entered the electorate,” Mathers said.
He and others were asked about President Donald Trump’s decision to campaign, even though he’s not on the ballot.
Trump’s policies — the war against Iran and tariffs — have contributed to rising consumer prices that have emerged as a top concern, according to numerous polls.
Mathers didn’t sound surprised to see Trump inserting himself onto the campaign trail.
“It turns out to be a referendum on the current president as far as the federal level, so it makes sense,” he said. “I think that he’s going to not like the outcome, but we’ll see.”
A 55-year-old woman who declined to give her name said she’s voting for “change” and doesn’t like the president’s approach. She chose not to mention specific issues that are on her mind and does not like Trump’s approach.
“I don’t like feeling like our leader is trying to tell us what to do instead of listening to us and doing what we think should be done,” she said.
On the other hand, she added, “Women’s rights are definitely one of those things that’s a top issue, and they’re all in the background of every decision that’s being made at every level right now.”
Almost everyone pointed out how negative and divided the parties appear ahead of Election Day.
“We’re very divided, and I hate that because I believe that two people can disagree but still be able to get along, and it feels like the more you disagree, you don’t get along at all,” said 22-year-old Brianna Feldman. “And I hate that because in order to be a democratic country, you have to be able to listen to both sides and be able to listen well and not just fight.”
Twenty-one vote centers across Kosciusko County open at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and will remain open until 6 p.m.
To see who is on the local ballot, click here.
