Phoenix voters share hope and anxiety after leaving the polls

As lunchtime rolled around on Tuesday, it wasn’t a typical day for downtown Phoenix workers stepping out to grab a bite to eat.

Some had “I Voted” stickers adorning their shirts. One had a ballot in her purse ready to drop off. And many were feeling a mixture of hope and anxiety in the anticipation of the midterm results. The results could end up tipping the balance of power in Washington, but it could make history here in Arizona. If the three statewide offices all go to the Democratic incumbents it will be the first time that Democrats held all three offices since Elvis was topping the charts in the 1950s. All three — Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes — are leading in their respective polls.

Wearing a bright blue blazer, Nicky Stevens sat in the sunshine on the patio at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. As she and her tablemate snacked on chips and elote dip, Stevens encouraged her friend to make it to the polls today. 

Stevens had already voted. As a consultant who focuses on housing and homelessness issues, voting was at the top of her priority list this election season. 

“I wanted to make sure I voted for (Gov. Katie) Hobbs to ensure that she kept the Housing Trust Fund, that ensured that money went to families and people without a safe place to call home,” Stevens said. 

Her plan for the day was to encourage everyone she could to vote, and then to go home for her “date with Steve Kornacki.”

While she currently sported her best Kamala Harris outfit minus the Converse, she joked that she’d change later. 

“My outfit is beige Gap khakis, and a button-down with rolled-up sleeves.
So, I plan on watching the results come in live, and I’m excited about that,” she said. 

That excitement also flowed into Stevens’ emotions around tonight’s results. While anxieties about the 2016 election lingered in her mind, the 53-year-old Goodyear resident also felt hopeful for a return to “normalcy and decency.”

“I’m just galvanized to see so many people backing these amazing new candidates and new people who are bringing a voice that I felt we haven’t had in a long time,” she said. “I actually just feel hope, again, for the first time in a long time.”

Just down Roosevelt Street, Lexi Taylor enjoyed a slice of sourdough pizza at Proof Bread. Her colorful jacket with coffee cups and doughnuts embroidered on it was jazzed up even further with an “I Voted” sticker. 

After ordering her lunch, the Ahwatukee resident was pleased to find out that her sticker earned her 10% off her meal. Proof was one of many local restaurants offering discounts for voters on Tuesday. 

“You can’t go wrong with some very good bread,” she joked.

While she always makes the effort to vote, this midterm election marks the first time Taylor cast a ballot in Arizona, as she moved to Phoenix from Indiana in December. 

“I’m new to Arizona, but I’ve come from a red state, Indiana, and that’s been red my whole life,” she said, explaining her excitement to vote here. “Coming to Arizona, you guys go purple a lot.”

She filled out her ballot at home, taking extra care to research school board issues, and then dropped it off. The 28-year-old works in downtown Phoenix for the arts non-profit Phoenix Chorale.

“Having an arts background, the arts are always very important to me. And so, that usually is left-leaning as well, politically,” she said. “I do know that in the music community, a lot of people do vote, and they’re very active politically.”

Across the street, 56-year-old Phoenix resident Gregory Giordano and his friend rolled up to Lola Coffee on their bikes. Donning a white bicycle helmet, the retired dentist chatted about the issues that mattered most to him this election.

Not a fan of government overreach, he felt strongly about Prop. 319, which will decide the future of speed and red-light cameras. Voting against taxing groceries, which he felt disproportionately hurts lower-income people, also drew him out to the polls.

Giordano voted in person today, taking a new tactic to ensure his vote was counted. He received a ballot in the mail so he could research the candidates and fill it out. Then he visited his local polling station. Instead of dropping it off, as he typically would, he showed his I.D. and waited while poll workers tabulated his vote on the spot. This option gave Giordano confidence that his vote would be counted as intended. In the last election, he had concerns about interference. 

As a registered independent, Giordano says he focuses more on the issues than the party. While he has voted for some republican candidates before, this year, he stuck mostly with a blue ticket, save for corporation commissioner, which he went green.

As a cyclist who advocates for solar power and drives an electric car, green energy is an issue near to Giordano’s heart. Healthcare reform is another hot topic for the retired dentist, who experienced first-hand how dealing with insurance companies impacted his practice and patients. 

Even though Arizona doesn’t have a U.S. Senate race this midterm, Giordano hopes these midterms will help balance the scales. 

“I’m big anti-Trump,” Giordano said. “And I don’t like the corruption of the federal government. I don’t like that the other branches of the federal government are not keeping some of his decisions in check or are barely keeping them in check. And I feel like our state and local elections are even that much more important, who we vote for, to keep some of those things in check.”