AFTER FOUR YEARS of controversy, preposterous moments, polarised politics and erratic tweets, America went to the polls. The US election is always a major occasion, but throw in a global pandemic, a recently-hospitalised President and some socially-distanced debates and it’s safe to say 2020’s will rival Watergate when it comes to most studied political events in American history books. This election won’t just affect Americans, but the entire world. Whether you like or loathe the result, understanding why a country voted the way it did is crucial – the outcome will be probed, pored over and unpicked for decades to come. So, we asked four American women to explain their reasons for voting the way they did...
Why I voted for... BIDEN
Sterling McDavid, 31, from Fort Worth, Texas, runs a fashion label and fragrance brand in New York.
For a lot of people in Texas, this is the first election ever they’re not voting Republican.
I’m from Fort Worth, the last standing big Republican city in Texas. I’ve voted Republican in the past but I voted for Biden this time; it came down to social justice issues and human rights – our current President simply does not stand for all people. Many assume it’s only uneducated people voting for Trump, but I’ve had loads of difficult conversations over the past few months with people I grew up with who are very educated – I’m talking master’s degrees from Harvard – who are still supporting Trump. As a businesswoman, I must admit it’s very tempting to vote for your taxes, but you only need to look at how much suffering there’s been under Trump to know that’s not the right decision. I’ve been posting reminders on Instagram to my peers saying, ‘If you vote for Trump you don’t support the LGBTQ+ or BIPOC communities’ and in return I’ve had a lot of backlash from friends at home. But I’ve also hadmessagesfromotherTexanssaying, ‘We’re too scared to tell anyone we’re not voting for Trump.’ For a lot of people in Texas, this is the first election ever where they’re not voting Republican.
Why I voted for... TRUMP
Monica Luisi, 24, is a video producer and podcaster in New Jersey.
I think Biden will soon be deferring to his vice president, Kamala Harris
My grandparents are immigrants who left Italy to come to America. More people than ever want to come to our country now and I empathise with those fleeing violence, I really do. But it’s about filling out the paper work and being on record, which I know Trump wants people to do. Being in my twenties and a graduate from a New York university, a lot of my peers despise Trump and, whenever I’ve posted about him on Instagram, I get DMs from people saying, ‘As a woman, you should be voting Democrat.’ But I voted for Trump because I feel my future is safer with him. I’m socially liberal: let gay people get married; let women do what they want with their bodies, but I want to feel safe with my money, and my family has personally benefitted from his tax breaks and financial relief. My dad is a firefighter and, under Obama, his pension was affected. I don’t mind about Trump not paying his taxes, he was a businessman first, that’s probably why there’s some messiness there. I think Biden will soon be deferring to his vice president, Kamala Harris, who is far too much of ‘a politician’ for my liking. Trump understands people and doesn’t sugar coat anything. He did everything he said he’d do in 2016. I voted for him then and I have done again this year.
Why I voted for... BIDEN
Clair Maleney, 28, is an English teacher and film-maker from Philadelphia.
I’ve reluctantly voted for Biden because nothing could be worse than another four years of Trump.
If I could have voted for a third candidate without it risking Trump getting in again, then I would have done, rather than giving Biden my vote. But the risk is too high this year so, even though I’m not a Biden fan, I reluctantly voted for him. In the past, I’ve voted Green. I find Biden centrist and not particularly progressive, especially his views around race, gender and his unwillingness to ban fracking. The sentiment on my social media feed is very much that everyone wishes there was another candidate, a third viable option. I know a lot of people who have abstained in the past because the Democratic candidate is not left enough, but even they have been encouraging people to vote for Biden this year. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders represent our views, but they’re on the left fringes of the Democratic party. It’s a shame, because they would actually create some meaningful change. But I’ve reluctantly voted Biden because nothing could be worse than another four years of Trump.
Why I voted for... Trump
Robin Barnes, 50, works in real estate in Michigan.
Trump has done more for African Americans in four years than Biden has in his 40-odd years of being in Congress.
African Americans have lost a lot of business during the pandemic. We’ve been hit hard, but Trump’s going to inject a huge amount of money into our communities with his Platinum Plan. The Platinum Plan promises millions of new jobs for Black communities and access to better education. People say Trump’s racist, but his wife’s an immigrant; some of his best friends are Black. I’m a Covid-19 survivor and I agree with him that we need to open the country back up now because America won’t run if we don’t go to work. My family and many of my friends are Democrats and we argue all the time. They tell me he’s racist and says horrible things, but I don’t care. I care about policies that will affect the lives of African Americans. Both he and Biden need to watch their rhetoric, but Trump has done more for us in four years than Biden has in his 40-odd years of being in Congress.
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