New Yorkers sound off at polls

Alex Delaney-Gasing

More than 100 people lined the street in front of the Estelle R. Newman Center on New York City’s West 65th Street. Toward the end of the line, a woman reading Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” novel waited amongst the crowd, taking small steps forward without looking up as the man reading the newspaper in front of her moved up ahead.

“There’s 350 million Americans,” said Howard Anger, an NYC resident. “It’s pretty sad that we ended up with these two (presidential candidates). But you’ve got to vote for somebody, so you vote for the best there is, given the options.”

Anger, 75, has been voting since 1962. He’s never missed an election, he said. 

The difference, this year, for Anger is his motivation behind waiting in line to fill out a ballot. 

“For the first time in my life I’m not voting for somebody, I’m voting against somebody,” he said.

Anger has lived in NYC his entire life. He’s seen the business Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has built, the successes he’s had and the damage he’s done over the course of his business career. On the other hand, he’s not a fan of the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.

“Tomorrow, life goes on‚ no matter who wins,” Anger said. “I’m choosing to vote for the lesser of the two evils today.”

With his messenger bag slung over his shoulder, Rick Davidman stopped to vote while on his way to work. With three ballot machines inside and only two operating, he and the rest of the waiting voters were in line far longer than they thought.

“I think this election has been pretty depressing, but I think we’ll have a happy ending,” Davidman said. “New Yorkers know Trump. The rest of the country doesn’t really know him as well. They give him the benefit of the doubt in a lot of areas, where if the rest of the U.S. were as familiar with the nominee as NYC was, and knew more of his history and were a little more educated‚ they would realize what Trump stands for, and the consequences that would result from electing him.”

Helen Stine walked with her daughter out of the voting poll, past the growing line of voters and down toward the Shun Lee Cafe situated at the corner of the street. An “I voted” sticker rested on on the breast pocket of her gray peacoat.

Stine is 103 years old. She’s lived in New York for the better part of the century she’s been alive.  She said she’s been voting since Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for president, back in the ‘30s.
 
“I’ve done my part as an American citizen,” she said. “But I’m not going to say who I voted for, of course.

Stine added: “But I’ll tell you, it wasn’t for that other guy.”

Alex Delaney-Gesing is a senior reporter, contact her at [email protected].