Political experts say many voters appear to have hardened their opinions about who they’ll support in the upcoming presidential election.
But just how enthusiastic are they about their preferred candidate? Some voters say they are more excited about voting against one of the presidential contenders than voting for one.
During a recent speech to University of Michigan students in Ann Arbor live streamed throughout the nation, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders sought to avoid a repeat of 2016…when many of his younger supporters simply stayed home after he’d lost the Democratic nomination for president.
“This young generation does not vote in large enough numbers," said Sanders. "So today I say to the young people here in Michigan and around the country…it is not enough to complain. We got to fight back. And the first way is to vote!”
It’s a message that hits very close to home with 24-year-old Taylor resident Alexandra Stamper.
“I’m actually from Vermont…I’m from Burlington where Bernie was mayor, says Stamper. "And so I know lot of Bernie Bros. But I think right now I think a lot of people are taking Donald Trump more seriously than they took him…a lot of Democrats are taking him more seriously than they took him in 2016. It’s pretty evident that the stakes are just so much higher now.”
Stamper says she’s excited to cast her ballot.
“I really am…yes. I think it’s a referendum on Donald Trump," said Stamper. "I think it’s maybe the most important elections of my lifetime so far. My parents have said it’s the most important election of their lifetime. It just feels really important right now.”
In the Midtown section of Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, Malinda Hill-Sangster says she’s so committed to voting she serves as an election precinct supervisor on the east side of the city.
She says she’s also committed to defeating Donald Trump much more than being enthused about Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
“Biden is the best of both evils," Sangster said. "He’s not as great as everybody think he is…he’s got some dirty ways too. But look at Donald Trump…he has coronavirus…he just pulled his whole mask off at the White House after getting out of the hospital…and did not care about anybody or anything. He really don’t care.”
On a nearby bench Detroiter John Laskey says he’s ready to do his civic duty and vote even in the midst of a pandemic.
But he says he’s not thrilled about his choices for the White House.
“Well so-so. I ain’t really too excited gettng out there to do it…but I’m gonna vote," says Laskey. "They gonna put in there who they gonna put in there anyway…whether I vote or not. But I’m gonna vote. Hopefully Biden get in there. If not…we gave it a try.”
About 15 miles away outside the Dodge Park Coney Island in Sterling Heights Valerie Cusmano is preparing to do her civic duty.
She also works the polls in Richmond Township.
And Cusmano makes it clear she supports how President Trump handled the economy before the pandemic struck.
She’s not so excited about the President himself.
“But do I particularly love this person? No," said Cusmano. "I will definitely vote for the way it was going. But do I particularly like that person? Not particularly…but I’m still gonna vote. If you don’t vote you better not complain about anything.”
It’s a different story inside the restaurant where construction worker Paul Slifco says he can’t wait to get to the ballot box.
“I’m pretty pumped up…but I’m always pumped up," said Slifco. "I always voted…voted since ’84…never missed one yet. The way it’s been run the last four years the economy’s really skyrocketed. We’ve been in construction business. I’ve been there with all the different work rules with Obama and all them. And everything was slow back then. Now it’s going gangbusters. I mean we’re building buildings from Alabama all the way up here. We haven’t had a day off yet.”
“Teddy…come here. You’ve got to sit down. You can’t be standing up next to other people. No…sit down.”
A few booths away Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor corrals one of his children.
Taylor says it only takes a glance around the city to see how energized the President’s supporters are.
“With Trump it’s not just yard signs…it’s flags," says Taylor. "People are hanging flags from their houses. I saw in my neighborhood a guy painted Trump’s name on his pickup truck…there’s something you don’t see every day. There is a real energy level among Trump supporters for Trump. People love him…that’s for sure.”
Taylor is not among those supporters.
The lifelong Republican made international news when he said he regrets voting for Trump in 2016 and will now vote against him.
Taylor says the President is dividing Sterling Heights and a substantial portion of the electorate wants to vote Trump out of office.
But Taylor says there is one emotion he senses all voters here share.
“The mood right now is that everybody wants this election to be over," Taylor said. "And we’re not looking forward to any sort of prolonged period of time after the election to try to figure it out in the courts.”
With a historically large number of Michiganders voting absentee this year and the chance the initial results could be contested by either presidential contender it seems likely there will be a long wait before the election results are known – no matter how enthusiastically those ballots were cast.