Video by Holly Bernstein
Residents across Phoenix encountered shorter, quicker lines as they came downtown to cast their ballot on Tuesday’s election day.
One downtown voting site had a rough start early this morning with lines wrapped around the entire building, said Ben Graff, candidate for the Central Arizona Water Conservation Board. The lines did, however, die down and voters were able to get in and out fairly quickly before too long.
Lines were smaller than in the 2016 primaries, during which voting stations were significantly reduced, leaving some voters waiting in lines for as long as five hours.
“The line went pretty fast. I think I was there for maybe a half-hour and everyone in line was very friendly,” Kelly Beguin, a voter in the last two elections, said.
Citizens from all over downtown Phoenix gathered at the Salvation Army with their “I voted” stickers worn with pride, to cast their vote in hopes that their particular candidate will win the presidential election.
Beguin said she wasn’t very concerned about was the voting process itself. She said citizens need to know that their voice counts, and to have “faith that our election process works.”
Graff said he emphasized the importance of water conservation in downtown Phoenix. He said he hopes that the city of Phoenix is able to maintain enough water to remain attractive to companies looking to occupy the vacant parcels of land in downtown.
Poverty is another issue on the minds of voters such as Michael Frongillo, a school choir teacher and second time presidential voter.
“If things go in a more democratic way then resources will come into downtown, and there will be that government aid that will help people who are really struggling down here,” Frongillo said.
Frongillo said that though downtown Phoenix has seen great expansion in the last five years, there are portions of the population that are not seeing any benefits and that it is time the government steps in to help out.
For Phoenix residents and voters Edward Vincent Martinez and Carol J. Green-fields, the most important part of election day was citizen engagement.
“In the big scheme of things, I hope it will wake people up, especially here in downtown Phoenix,” Martinez, 32, said.
Contact the reporter at bayne.froney@asu.edu.
