104-Year-Old Woman from Dominica
Escorted to the Poll site by niece to vote for Biden/Harris
Brooklyn, NY: 104-year old Thelma who was born and raised in Dominica casted her vote on Tuesday afternoon at the $104 million renovated Kings Theatre on Flatbush Avenue, an early voting site, located within the large Caribbean community. Thelma was brought to the poll and assisted by her great grandniece. On Saturday morning when early voting for the presidency of the U.S. began, the first in line to vote was Doris from San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago. Although polls in New York City opened at 10am, Doris was in line at 6am. The polls also opened at 10am on Sunday, but hundreds of voters, especially Caribbean-Americans, were there at 6am. The polls opened at 7am on Monday but voters were outside Kings as early as 4:30. Tuesday, another rainy, chilly morning in autumn, was not different; people were in line at 8am for a 12-noon opening.
At the Kings Theatre where EVERYBODY’S Magazine has been focusing, one can hear Anglophone Caribbean voters from throughout the Caribbean saying they came to vote for the Biden/Harris ticket. Jackie who was born at Maxwell Junction in Barbados made a useless trip to Brooklyn from Queens to vote. “I don’t mind if there is a problem with where I should vote, I don’t care as long as I vote Trump out of office.” She had recently moved to Queens from Brooklyn but thinking Queens Board of Elections did not list her, she came to Brooklyn to vote only to be told she is not on the Brooklyn voters list. “I will go back to Queens to vote and I am not mad that I wasted a day. I want to know that I voted against Trump.” Jackie sentiments were supported by her longtime friend from Guyana, Sandra, who boasted she voted on Saturday after standing in line for four hours.
Eighty-six-year-old Ruby from the Carenage, Grenada, had no problem standing in the rain on Tuesday. “This may be my last vote before I die, and I want to die a happy person knowing I voted out Trump.”
In all the five boroughs of New York City, Caribbean-Americans are eagerly casting their votes. EVERYBODY’S has not heard a single Caribbean voter says he or she voted for Trump but many in their eagerness to get rid of President Trump are spoiling their ballots.
In New York State, most candidates are listed under different political parties on the ballot but a voter can only vote for the candidate once regardless to how many times the candidate is listed. So, in New York City, Biden/ Harris is listed under several political parties and so is Trump/Pence. One cannot vote for Biden under the Democratic Party line and then vote for him under the Working Families Party. That vote will be spoiled. Mayor de Blasio tweeted, “Getting ready to vote in Brooklyn. Long line but it will be worth it! Urging all progressives to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on the Working Families Party line in New York State. Protect our @NYWFP and change our nation, all at once!” Bill de Blasio is also confusing young and immigrant voters many of whom having marked their ballot for Biden/Harris on the Democratic Party line then mark the ballot again, this time, for the presidential ticket on the Working Families line thereby spoiling their vote.
To add to the confusion, there are other candidates listed on the same ballot who are running for other offices. In other words, the ballot lists those seeking the presidency of the U.S., city and state offices, judgeships and even dog catcher.
While a vote for Biden that is spoil by the voter may not be crucial in New York State because Biden/Harris, is projected to carry New York State by a landslide, a spoil vote for Biden in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Florida could hurt the Biden/Harris ticket. Those states have large Caribbean populations.
There is no question that Caribbean-American voters are participating in early voting and mail-in voting and they are voting for the Biden/Harris ticket. EVERYBODY’S survey of Caribbean-Americans completed in mid-September reveals that 94% are voting for Vice President Biden and Senator Kamala Harris. Given that a Caribbean-American or Jamaican-American, Kamala Harris, is on the ticket, it would not be surprising if more than 94% voted for Biden/Harris.
Due to the long lines in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has extended early voting hours. On Tuesday, de Blasio vote in his neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn. He claimed he waited in line for almost three hours. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, polls will now open at 7am and close at 5pm. For votes who did not do mail in voting and early voting, there’s a final chance to vote. It is Tuesday, November 3. The polls will open in New York State at 6am and close at 9pm.
To protect the privacy of voters EVERYBODY’S mentioned in this news article, the persons, age and island of birth are accurate but we did not use their real name.