I covered the polls during the 2016 primaries for my political reporting class. These voter profiles appeared both on the South Florida News Service and The Miami Herald on Aug. 30, 2016.
To make it easier for you, I’ve compiled my voter profiles here:
[Posted 1:00 pm] Nelson Delgado, 57, said he has not missed an election in 40 years. During the 2012 election, he stood in line for about seven hours to cast his ballot. But this year, voting at the West Dade Regional Library was smooth and quick.
Delgado, a longtime Republican, said he doesn’t believe in straight-ticket voting, and instead looks for the best person for the position. For that reason, he said he voted against US Senator Marco Rubio’s reelection bid.
Rubio, according to Delgado, is “constantly changing” his positions. While he understands that Rubio was in the middle of a presidential campaign, the Florida Republican didn’t give enough attention to his Senate job. Rubio’s waffling on problems like Zika, Delgado said, is just a “distraction to get votes,” and “his record does not support” his reelection.
Delgado’s biggest dilemma this election cycle, though, was deciding on who to vote for Miami-Dade mayor. Raquel Regalado, he said, doesn’t have enough of a record to prove she’s up to the job. Incumbent Carols Gimenez’ record, on the other hand is “reactive rather than proactive.” Delgado said Gimenez seems to wait for a problem to grow before taking action, such as issues surrounding radioactive leaks at FPL’s Turkey Point nuclear facility.
“It’s like voting for the best of two evils,” Delgado said.
— Michelle Marchante, South Florida News Service
[Posted at 2:21 pm] Rebecca Perez, 20, was one of the few younger voters at the the West Dade Regional Library Tuesday.
The after-school teacher and registered Republican said she voted to give Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez to another term.
“I like his policies and he’s the current mayor,” Perez said. “I like what he’s done.”
When it came to the US Senate race, there was only one plausible option for her, hands down: Marco Rubio.
“He shares the same beliefs that I do,” said Perez. “And I really like how he puts family views first.”
— Michelle Marchante, South Florida News Service
To read the other voter profiles, please click one of the links below:
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