Coffee and Economy on the Minds of Many Voters

By: Maura Gladys
(Polling story)



“On days like this, we always make sure we have a lot of coffee,” said a poll worker at the South Hill Elementary School polling location

The sky was still black and an early morning chill hung over the South Hill Elementary School early this morning, as voters lined up to cast their ballot in one of the most highly anticipated and historic elections in recent memory. It seemed as if coffee and the economy was on the mind of many voters.

Arlene*, one of the first voters at South Hill arrived at 6 a.m. in order to beat what is anticipated to be a heavy turnout. As soon as she was finished voting she headed straight for Starbucks, which was giving a free large coffee to anyone that presented an “I Voted Today” sticker.

“I really didn’t want to have to wait in line, and I decided 6 was the best. Now, I’m going to get a free cup of coffee from Starbucks,” she said.

Joseph LeCates, a Cornell graduate student, used voting, rather than coffee to calm his nerves.

“I want to feel like I’ve done everything I can. It’s the first time I’ve paid so much attention to an election. I came out early to calm my nerves.”

LeCates, like many others cited the economy as one of his primary issues when voting. Starbucks in downtown Ithaca was a hub of election excitement. Voters, fresh from the voting booths, cashed in on their free coffees and talked politics.

“It’s been a zoo, but it can only get better,” said Karen, the barista. “There have been a lot of new faces this morning.”

One woman, after receiving her free coffee, gushed about the excitement of voting.

“It’s just such a great feeling, to hear the machine when you pull the lever, and you just feel like you made a difference.”

Another man, a teacher on his way to work jovially summed up the morning. “This is such an Ithaca morning. Coffee and voting.”

*it was requested that her real name not be used.

The Vote's in the Mail!

Not everyone will pull the lever on election day. For those who will be unavoidably absent from their counties; unable to vote at a polling place due to illness, injury or disability; or are patients in in a Veteran's Administration or detainees in jail for convictions other than felonies; participation in Election Day will be via absentee ballot.

As of October 29th, about 4,000 absentee ballots were mailed to voters registered in Tomkins County. Especially for voters residing outside of counties in which they are registered, it can be difficult to keep up with the local politics of their area. "It's hard to know who to vote for because I am so removed," Kyle Stevens said. Stevens is a resident of Otsego County and a junior at Ithaca College.



Stevens has gathered information from different sources about candidates for local, state and national offices. The internet has been his primary source for many of the candidates' backgrounds and positions on different issues. "I use candidates' websites because I can find their stances on what matters most to me," Stevens said. Campaign websites offer media such as footage of debates and news feeds to keep updated on the most recent campaign developments.





Local candidates, Stevens experienced, were harder to find online. He instead received information by mail after registering for an absentee ballot. According to Tompkins County Board of Elections Commissioner Stephen DeWitt, candidates are able to acquire a list of absentee voters from county BOE offices.


“Various campaigns take responsibility for absentee ballots and will send mailings to people who are on the permanent absentee ballot list," Irene W. Stein, chair of the Tomkins County Democratic Committee, said. "I think that candidates want the vote and they do everything they can to communicate with the voter, and voters exhibit varying degrees of interest...it’s a joint responsibility. It’s the job of the candidate if he wants to win, and the responsibility of the voter, and sometimes these things come together."



In Tompkins County, the Board of Elections will be open on Monday. Voters can still request an absentee ballot in person, and still have the chance to take part in Tuesday's historic election.

- Emma Tanner

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