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As voters hit the polls Tuesday, MinnPost visited polling places to ask Minnesotans who they’re supporting in the primary and why. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. We’ll be updating this post with more interviews throughout the day.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Burnsville City Hall
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
I hope it’s Bernie Sanders.
Why is he your candidate?
I did one of those, I don’t know what website it was, but where you answer a bunch of questions and it tells you where your values align the most. I’m very liberal. At the time, Hillary Clinton was also running. I thought it would show her as who I aligned with. It didn’t.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
The environment is very important to me. Student debt is very important to me — I have six figures of student debt so that’s very important to me. Health care. Education. Those are the main things, yeah.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Burnsville City Hall
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Joe Biden.
Why is he your candidate?
His policies align with my beliefs. What I don’t support is a socialist, and one thing that strikes me about him is that he talks about healing the country, which I think is important.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Medicare. Health care is number one. I’m up there in age, that’s something I think about all the time. Social Security, too.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Burnsville City Hall
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Joe Biden.
Why is he your candidate?
I like his thoughts and his procedures and what he is all about.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
I think Joe speaks for most of America in terms of democracy, environment and I just like what he says. We’ve got to get Trump up out of that joint.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Walker Orenstein[/image_credit]
Polling place: Roseville Public Library
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Joe Biden.
Why is he your candidate?
I don’t want Sanders. He’s too extreme for me.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
No.
What do you like about Biden?
He’s pretty moderate.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Walker Orenstein[/image_credit]
Polling place: Roseville Public Library
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Elizabeth Warren.
Why is she your candidate?
Honestly I just made my decision up today, I was going to vote for Amy. But I really agree with all the stuff that she’s saying. I think she’d be a good choice … She just seems the most reasonable, she seems the most level headed of who is left.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Maybe like abolishing the electoral college.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Walker Orenstein[/image_credit]
Polling place: Roseville Public Library
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
I voted for Bernie.
Why is he your candidate?
There’s several things I like that he stands for. Chronic pain patients deserve a choice, and the federal legalization of cannabis will give us that choice.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
[Marijuana legalization] is.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Ebenezer Park Apartments (Phillips West neighborhood, Minneapolis)
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
What’s his name again? I forgot his name. Bernie Sanders, yeah, I voted for him.
Why is he your candidate?
I just like the way he’s going about his business, you know, and I like the things he’s saying.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Health care. That’s what I like about him, you know — that he’s gonna make it more better for ourselves, low-income people.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Ebenezer Park Apartments (Phillips West neighborhood, Minneapolis)
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Not Donald Trump. For me, whoever the Democratic party endorses, I will support that person.
Who did you vote for today?
Joe Biden.
Why is he your candidate?
Well, I liked him as vice president. I think he would keep a lot of President Obama’s things that he wanted to do, keep that in tact. And I’m just praying that he get us back on track because I’m afraid if Donald Trump gets back in, we’re going to World War III.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Education — help students who have these student loans; they can’t afford them. Help us get back on track. It’s more than just one, it’s another one too. The other one is based on what Donald Trump wants wanna do by April — knocking a lot of people off of food stamp program. That’s an entitlement. He shouldn’t mess with that. But then you’re going to have more people homeless. He’s not thinking about the children; he’s not thinking about the seniors. He should have to walk in our shoes for one month.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Ebenezer Park Apartments (Phillips West neighborhood, Minneapolis)
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Sanders.
Why is he your candidate?
I see him on TV sometimes. I watch TV a lot. I don’t know if he would make a good president but that’s who I marked on that paper.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
People. I’m 82 years old, so I should speak up a little bit.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Ebenezer Park Apartments (Phillips West neighborhood, Minneapolis)
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Warren.
Why is she your candidate?
I’m voting for Elizabeth Warren because I believe she’s the best candidate to unite seemingly both halves of the Democratic party, and I always love her platforms. I love all of those plans she’s put out for tackling major problems. To me the worst issue we have to face is the corporate control of the voting system and our monetary process. She’s the only one that I’ve seen that has, what I think is, a viable type of plan to address the corporate control of politics.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
That’s it. Plus, she’s a woman. (fist pump) Yeah!
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Ebenezer Park Apartments (Phillips West neighborhood, Minneapolis)
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Warren.
Why is she your candidate?
It is a sick joke for Americans to pretend that we have anything remotely resembling elections. Putin has recently taken over where Wall Street for at least 50 years has left off. I’m voting Warren, quote un quote — well, I’m pleased that she’s a woman and I’m able to, but that’s not the point — during her campaign she manifests that her mind is the least saturated in corporatistic industrial mind pollution of all of the candidates, including Sanders. Sadly, it seems that the GOP monsters have gotten the kompromat on him already.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Corporatism — the Wall Street takeover of all public institutions.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Highland Park Community Center
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Biden.
Why is he your candidate?
He makes me the most comfortable; he has the most experience. He’s just got a good platform.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Health care — that’s probably the biggest thing.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Jessica Lee[/image_credit]
Polling place: Highland Park Community Center
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
My vote is Elizabeth Warren.
Why is she your candidate?
I think she’s actually the middle of the road candidate. I used to be a Republican and now I’m a Democrat. What people realize is the Republican Party has just gotten so far crazy off the right end of things. If you look at all of the main issues — people want health care; people want to social security; people want to control guns — stuff like that. And actually most of the Democrats are right smack with that. The real middle of the road vote is for any of the Democrats, but Elizabeth is, I think, is probably the most knowledgeable and most practical of the group. Biden’s got a lot of experience — I would be happy to vote for any of them — but I think Elizabeth Warren just has the spunk and kind of grandmotherly knowledge, grandmotherly character and viewpoint that the country needs. We’ve got a toddler as president right now, and I think we deserve a little bit better than that. We deserve a grown up and one who’s very component and has demonstrated that competency and she’s a real person. She knows where she came from and what’s she’s been through and what she’s accomplished, and I think she wants that opportunity for everyone.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Oh my goodness. Well, fundamentally, repairing the damage that Trump and the Republicans have done. Most people don’t comprehend worldwide this idea of nationalism and ‘every country on its own’ and that kind of thing. We’re not alone. This virus right now is a perfect example of that; global warming, another example of it; all of the other military issues. We’re all in this together and Trump is just leading us in the absolute wrong direction. And he’s destroying all of the things that we’ve accomplished since World War II and, particularly, the ability to work together and to solve our differences. But if you have to do that with understanding of where people are coming from, and he has no comprehension of that at all. I think he’s just kind of a tool of special interests. He does what they want and that gives him support. I don’t know what he’s hiding with his taxes and business dealings but I’m worried about that.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Lakeville South High School
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Donald Trump.
Why is he your candidate?
I feel like he’s delivered on a lot of his campaign promises and I think we have a good economy, and I’m not very supportive of what is happening on the Democratic side.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
I’m not looking at it mainly as a personality issue as much as will he do the things he said he would do. I’m very pro-life. I’m very supportive of our capitalist system as opposed to a socialist system. I didn’t initially support him when he first started running for president. I would’ve probably chosen somebody else, but I feel like he’s proven that he’s effective and delivering on things that I believe in and agree with, so I thought you know what? I’m going to come out and cast my vote because I can.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Lakeville South High School
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Elizabeth Warren.
Why is she your candidate?
I have a wife who has rheumatoid arthritis. I am a little sick of some things to do with the health care system. Even though the health care positions are different, it would have been tougher if Klobuchar would have still been running or Buttigieg. It’s kind of weird to be down to kind of voting for four people all in their seventies when we want change. I am over 70, but I kind of wish there was somebody younger still in the contest. I think it’s maybe time for at least a woman president or vice president and (Warren is) the only one left.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
[Health care] Is kind of the biggest one. I have more issues with the state. I wish the state would change certain things.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Sanders.
Why is he your candidate?
I think his tax plan is really good, the Green New Deal and things like that, and also I think he has the best shot of winning.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
There’s a lot of things, really, right now. Really a lot of things that have happened in the past three or four years that need to get changed. I think he has a good platform.
[image_credit]MinnPost photo by Greta Kaul[/image_credit]
Polling place: Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus
Who do you hope will have been elected president when you wake up on Nov. 4?
Personally, Bernie Sanders.
Why is he your candidate?
It seems everybody’s against him, but he’s the one candidate who I believe has believed in what wants for the longest. He’s been true to himself and he’s been fighting for what he believes in for the longest time.
Is there an issue that’s most important to you?
Medicare For All. That’s really important to me, even if I have to pay more taxes for it. My neighbor in the future will get free health care that they need.
I voted for Bernie, if only because the Right despises him, and the Democratic establishment hates him even more.
While I view the government we have as the handmaiden of corporations, banks and billionaires, and am no fan of government generally, socialized medicine would be a great deal better than the greed-ridden, racketeering, bleed me economically until I am dead monstrosity we call Health Care in America.
A check on America’s eternal war machine? Yes, please.
A a check on polluters? Yes yes yes.
A check on banks, corporations and billionaires? Yes, a thousand times over.
A green new deal? As opposed to this blind, ignorant profit driven ecocide? OMG yes.
What does Biden believe in? Yeah, I don’t know either.
What does Biden believe in? Well to quote him: “ You know, the thing.”
To be fair, it was: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, all men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
Like so many voters, I want that current obscenity out of the White House. I will vote for whomever the Dems put up against him.
Sanders and Trump have starkly different plans for the country, but neither is a megalomaniac who must be the center of attention. They are both functioning adults and I would embrace either. Plus, whomever is elected needs to work with the senate, God help them.
What is absolutely imperative is that we unite and create a path forward for our country. Neither Biden nor Sanders is the enemy. Let’s start coming together. I will campaign for either.
After all those people who voted for Biden (many not seeming to know why), I was relieved to see a lot of voters near the end of the article who voted for Bernie and Elizabeth Warren. I voted for Elizabeth Warren too. I think many of her policies are similar to Bernie’s, but she doesn’t give herself a heart attack shouting about them. I love her many “plans,” I love her demeanor – feisty but not mean, and I love her history. I too wish she and Bernie were in their 50s or 60s, but maybe you have to get to 70 to be able to look back and figure out what this country needs. I’m 75, and I can’t understand why the pundits keep saying that Bernie and Elizabeth don’t appeal to people over 50!