Student reporters blanket polling places across the state

1 p.m. — Long lines were expected at polls across the nation today, resulting in some like Nick Lemeline, a 35 year old Landscape Supervisor, to take the day off to ensure his vote was counted in Williston.

Lemeline was concerned his mail-in ballot would not be counted whether it be due to a signature or issues with the postal service.

Lemeline said that most Trump supporters opted to vote in-person so he thought it best to vote in-person for Biden to counteract Trump votes. He said this was the easiest election to make a decision in, and for that reason felt compelled to vote in-person.

-Emily Leimbach and Julia Carlson

Despite new protocols, election going smoothy, official says

12:21 p.m. — Nancy Schwertz, a retired education councilor, is an assistant election official at Burlington’s Ward 5 and this is the third election she has worked on. This time around there is more security and stricter rules than ever before, Schwertz said.

The main focus of officials is enforcing the extra precautions that are necessary to ensure citizens confidence in the protection of their voting rights and their safety.

Schwertz said that the process is going very smoothly and she encourages everyone who has an interest to get involved.

“I would not have missed this election, and doing this work allows me to be part of the community and the process,” Schwertz said.

-Allison Ouellette and Meredith Rathburn

Williston voter getting it ‘over with’

12:20 p.m. — As more voters rolled in to the Williston Armory around lunch time, so did Gene McCue, a 55 year old accountant.

He said he did not have a strong reason for voting in person versus mail-in. When asked what is he most excited for when voting today, McCue said, “honest, get it over with.”

McCue’s bluntness elicited nods and chuckles from fellow voters nearby.

- Emily Leimbach and Julia Carlson

Teenage voter casts ballot squarely against Trump

11:58 a.m. — Johnson's voters showed up in a steady stream on election day, braving blustery weather. Oakley Lisson, 25 and Kayla Turner, 19, of Johnson, came out to vote at the Town's municipal building.

Lisson said that his main mission in showing up was "pretty much just not having Trump in office another four years," and Turner agreed. "Not really excited about the other options," he said, “But that's the real thing."

Turner's first time voting in a presidential election was not swayed by the pandemic. Both Lisson and Turner had missed the deadline for early registration and registered today to vote.

-Rebecca Flieder

New York corrections officer ‘ready for it to be over’

11:23 — John Crowningshield, a Fair Haven resident and New York State corrections officer, is one of many voters in Fair Haven who echoed the sentiment that showing up to to vote your civic duty, even if you yourself don’t believe you’ll be affected that much.

“Honest, I’m just ready for it to be over”, he said, going on to talk about how his life and his work stay pretty much the same no matter who wins.

When asked about why he’s choosing to vote in person, Crowningshield said he never got a mail-in ballot from the town office, which is part of why he’s here.

Crowningshield “likes doing things in person,” he said.

-Hunter J. Smith

Future Voter joins mom at Orchard School

11:13 a.m. — As the snow started to melt outside of Orchard School in South Burlington, the line to vote remained almost non-existent.

Sarah Daring was one of the few who showed up to vote in-person.

“I think it’s the tradition of it all, just wanting to feel present. With things going on in the media about ballots possibly not making it, I just wanted to make sure my vote was secure,” she said.

Daring was accompanied by a smiling young girl proudly wearing a ‘future voter’ sticker. Daring herself donning an ‘I Voted’ sticker.

- Adrianna Maher

Burton Snowboards given day off to vote

11:11 a.m. — As the brief sunshine slipped away and the light snowfall began again, Sarah Harissis, 31, made her way through the mud-coated parking lot of the Smilie Memorial School in Bolton to cast her vote on Election Day.

“I don’t trust the mail-in votes with all the stuff Trump’s been threatening,” Harissis said. “I’ve always voted this way. I know there’s a pandemic going on, but this is such a small town... I figured it was safe to just come do it.”

Harissis works as a web developer for Burton Snowboards; the company was given the day off to vote.

“It really should be a national holiday,” Harissis said.

-Scott Barnes

Burlington voter ‘can’t wait’ to remove Trump

11:10 a.m. — On a splintering cold morning, local artist Beth Haggart votes for Joe Biden at Burlington’s Ward 5 polling place.

“Biden!” she exclaims before a reporter can begin an interview.

Haggart is designing green roofs at the age of 70. She describes why she is here to vote in person today with enthusiastic hand motions and vigor in her voice.

“I can’t wait to get Trump out of office so we can start dealing with the things that are important” said Haggart.

Haggart said she wants the next administration to focus on social issues like Black Lives Matter and the environment.

-Meredith Rathburn

Voting with a little bit of fear and a commitment to stay engaged

10:58 a.m. — To make sure her voice was heard, Charlotte voter Megan Brancaccio decided to vote in person.

Concerned primarily with national politics and women's reproductive rights, Brancaccio looks into the future with "a little bit of fear," but even more with a commitment to "stay engaged and awake even if we get what we want after today."

What Brancaccio wants is a Biden win, and despite not being a particularly political person or involved with state politics, she nonetheless voted for Governor Phil Scott again, citing his " action "in this time of crisis" as the main force in that decision.

-Mikaela McSharry

A Biden-Scott voter in Charlotte

10:58 a.m. — In Charlotte, Megan Brancaccio was driven to vote in person today partly because she "slacked off" in mailing in the ballot she received, but mostly because it felt official and she wanted to be sure her voice was heard, she said.

Concerned primarily with national politics, and women's reproductive rights in particular, Brancaccio is looking into the future with "a little bit of fear," but even more with a commitment to "stay engaged and awake even if we get what we want after today," she said.

What Brancaccio wants is a Biden win, and despite not being a particularly political person or involved with state politics, she nonetheless voted for Governor Phil Scott again, citing his "communicating with the community" and action "in this time of crisis" as the main force in that decision.

-Mikaela McSharry

Mail-in ballots easing workload, Clerk says

10:53 a.m. — Hinesburg Town Clerk Missy Ross has been seeing a slower day at the polls than usual; attributable to the high number of mail-in ballots, she said.

“There’s been a much much heavier turnout for earlier ballots” said Hinesburg town clerk Missy Ross.

“This has made our workload a lot easier. I think the post office has done a phenomenal job. They’ve been very responsive to our questions and have gotten back to us in a very timely manner. I’m very pleased with how this election has gone in terms of administration,” Ross said.

When asked about the politics behind this election Ross said, “We live in a small enough town where everyone knows each other so I haven’t noticed any tension between voters. People are more engaged because we’re gonna have a higher turnout than we’ve ever had.”

St. Albans voter fears ‘prolonged anxiety’ should presidential election be close

10:48 a.m. — John Kelley, 28, of St. Albans walked out of City Hall having voted in-person, a rarity for most Vermonters this election cycle.

“I’ve always voted in person, but honestly I forgot to put my ballot in the mail,” Kelley said.

It was very simple for him to vote in-person anyway, given his flexibility of working from home, he said.

“Being in a small town makes it easier than in other places,” Kelley said.

Expressing no concerns about the efficacy of the mail-in ballot, his greatest concern was about finding out the results of the election. Noting that if results are not decisive enough early on, his greatest concern is the “prolonged anxiety” of having to wait and see the eventual outcome.

“I find Joe [Biden] lacking things, but that’s better than the alternative to me,” he said after mentioning he probably won’t feel comfortable until January if he sees the result he is hoping for.

-Ryan Joseph

A first-time voter turns out in Charlotte

10:45 a.m. - In Charlotte, Vermont, three coworkers explained why they came to vote in person this morning.

“Because I live right up the road, it was really easy,” said Julian Lacroix, 30.

Simon Burrows, 60 had a more monumental reason, “This is the first time I’ve ever voted in my life so I had to come and do it in person,” he said.

“It was the first time I was eligible, so I planned to vote regardless of the circumstances in 2020,” Burrows said.

All three voters expressed apprehension about the outcome of the presidential election, Elliot Lacroix, 30, saying what makes him nervous is the potential of a contest of the national results.

Julian says that even though neither candidate was his first choice, he still saw the importance in voting, “It’s important I think to get Trump out of office so if Biden is our best chance and is the elected chance then I will vote for him and he has my full support.

-Shay Brunvand

Bolton voter wants country to come together

10:27 a.m. — Small flecks of snow drifted down from a grey sky over the Smilie Memorial School in Bolton today, where Kevin Lynch, 29, was exiting the polls.

“I’m hoping we can come together and be less divided,” Lynch said, adding that he is fearful “for the hate continuing to grow” in the United States.

Lynch explained that he didn’t like the choices for presidential candidates, but is more concerned about the reaction of Americans in the event of a Trump victory.

Lynch said he voted in person today due to late registration, and his decision was “pretty mixed all the way through.”

-Scott Barnes

Former Republican voter worries about right-wing violence if Trump loses

10:14 a.m. — Dani Stanisice, 22 exited the polls through a side door 100 or so yards away from the poll entrance at St. Mark’s Youth Center, one of the COVID-19 precautions being taken for in person voting this year.

Stanisice, a civil engineer, is voting for the first time this year. “I wanted the experience of voting in person,” he said.

Kendrick Forguites, 61, who is retired from military, wanted the experience of voting in person. A life-long Republican, he chose to vote Democrat starting with the 2012 election. Forguites voted for Biden.

Despite having friends who support Trump, he has “been waiting four years to vote.” He said. He worries about violence around the country if Trump loses.

“It’ll be instigated by the right wing,” he said.

- Emmy Sobelman

Teen voters cast ballots for Biden

10:15 a.m. — Nora Tetrick, 18, Sam Burgess, 19, and Max Anderson, 18 all left the Colchester High School gymnasium after casting their first ever ballots.

The three teenagers opted for an in-person vote rather than a mail-in ballot.

"I forgot about the mail-in ballot, so that's my reason" says Anderson.

Tetrick is particularly concerned about the uncertainty surrounding this election and the credibility of the results.

"The kind of power that the current administration holds can really dictate a lot of the outcome which is unfortunate and kind of nerve wracking for this particular election" says Tetrick.

They were all excited to have the opportunity to participate in their first election, and casted their votes for Biden.

-Aidan Scanlon

Richmond voter still deciding between Scott and Zuckerman

10:05 a.m. — As it started hailing outside of Camel’s Hump Middle School, Julian Portilla makes his way to the polls still unsure of who he will vote for on the state level.

He is a democrat, and hopeful that a Biden victory happens by a wide margin on the federal level, but is still deciding between Zuckerman and Scott on the state level.

“Everything is so polarized right now and a little tiny symbolic piece I can contribute to reducing polarization is by voting for someone on the other side,” Portilla said.

-Ellery Mahlum

Barton grandparent of twelve casts vote for Biden

10:01 a.m. — 76-year-old Patricia Prue arrives at Barton’s municipal office, just in time for the polls to open.

“I had some errands to do, and I thought, boy, I could run right in,” she says about getting out to vote.

The sun begins to peak out on this 27-degree day as Prue finds a spot in line.

“I’m just hoping we get a darn good president this time,” she says.

Prue feels the only choice is Joe Biden. Three of Prue’s twelve grandkids had COVID-19, and she believes Biden is better suited to take on the pandemic that hit so close to home for her.

-Annika Ringen

9:50 AM - South Burlington State Representative Martin LaLonde is running for re-election unopposed, yet he’s spending his morning waving and saying hello to everyone who enters the voting booth. Lalonde already voted by mail, dropping off his ballot about a month ago.

“So my hopes have been on a national level that we can set a new direction and get rid of the current administration. My fear is that, that won’t happen,” LaLonde said. “I predict that Trump will lose by millions of votes. As far as the electoral college, I’m still fearful and especially because of voter suppression in certain states.”

“I’m most concerned about voting, the right to vote and having a clear right to vote. Not a concern here in Vermont I think that Secretary of State Condos has done an excellent job encouraging voters,” LaLonde said.

LaLonde is hopeful for the future of Vermont and the country, he said.

-Adrianna Maher

Colchester voter says mail-in ballots unnecessary

9:32 a.m. — John Doherty exited Colchester High School Gymnasium as a line of voters formed inside.

Doherty, 61, works in medical sales and voted in person because he believes the physical act of voting is an important tradition. He said he has voted absentee in the past, but this year he believes it was unnecessary to spend money on mail-in ballots.

“The Secretary of State exceeded his judgement,” Doherty said.

He fears that “younger people think socialism is a good direction based on what they hear from progressives.”

Doherty said he believes true socialism has not benefitted the people. Doherty hopes that “we can get past this election, and that the people who lose, lose graciously.” He hopes that there are no riots or destruction of private property.

Locally, he is most concerned with the environment, and with reasonable taxes. He hopes that Vermont will welcome people based on its natural beauty, and remain an affordable state to live in.

-Olivia Allegra

Kanye West gets a vote in Vermont

9:30 a.m. — In South Burlington, Scott Stafford just voted at Orchard School. When asked about why he came to vote in-person, Stafford said that his wife advised him to and that he “always listens to her.”

“There wasn’t really any local issues on the ballot,” he said. Regarding the national election Stafford said, “I voted for Kanye West,”

Stafford is 60 years old and works as a self-described ‘IT guy’.

- Adrianna Maher

Undecided voter goes to polls still with questions in mind

9:23 a.m — With snow turning to hail in Hinesburg, undeterred voters have begun to reappear amidst the flood of campaign signs.

Shane Hanley, 24, a 3D abstract design artist, has been undecided all election, as neither candidates seemed encouraging to him.

“Just the last couple of days, I’ve kinda come to a conclusion of what I want to do.,” he said. “So, even though I have the mail-in ballot, I just never used it.”

Hanley plans to vote for Biden as he didn’t seem as self-centered, he said. He still remains undecided on most issues and is constantly questioning which are really important.

-Tyler Lederer

Milton voters ‘horrified’ Vermont mailed every voter a ballot

9:20 a.m. — In matching American-flag-masks with pictures of German Shepards on top — the same ones that waited in their cars — Milton residents Raymond and Nancy Mcnamara stand in line to vote at Milton Municipal Office.

“It’s the American way to do it, to come out to vote,” They said as they wait in the cool weather.

“My wife and I are both in our seventies,” Raymond said, but “we are not afraid of the virus.” “I am all about my country, I served in Vietnam for four years, I served in law enforcement for 40 years, and I am a true American patriot.”

“We are horrified,” Nancy said, “That Vermont decided to send everybody a mail-in ballot.”

-Kenzie Imhoff

Watching it go into the machine

9:17 a.m. — With a young son in a fire truck red winter coat bumbling out the front door to play in the snow, Elisabeth Miller of Charlotte said she felt a deep sense of satisfaction and security watching her ballot “go in the machine."

Motivated not by fear but by what is possible, Miller said ,she hopes the election will bring prison reform, cracking down on drugs, citing President Trump’s leadership on those issues.

Miller, a native of Addison Country, is looking for Vermont to be "friendly to business, and be friendly to farmers," in a way she does not feel the state is now.

-Mikaela McSharry

Lyndon voter casts ballot after hitch with vote scanner

9:09 a.m. — Snow floated down as Andrea Chiesa walked out of her Lyndon polling place. She says her first attempt at voting her ballot was rejected at the scanner.

“I had wondered if I had mailed it in what would have happened,” she says.

On her second attempt she was able to successfully cast her vote for Joe Biden. Chiesa says she had no concerns about safety voting in person and, in fact, is more confident that her vote will be counted.

She expresses praise for the town clerk’s office and all those coming through the polls. “I love my town. It doesn’t matter which way you go, I love all the people in my town,” Chiesa says.

-Annika Ringen

West Virginia transplants cast first votes in Green Mountain state

9:04 a.m. — New Vermonters, Heather and Michael Roberts, 36 and 42 respectively, walked out of Georgia, Vermont’s polling place seeming particularly excited and happy to have casted their votes this election.

“Regardless of policy, to me, this is an election of integrity. Who are we as a country? That’s why I’m here and that’s why I’m very happy to vote. I’ve voted in every election since I was 18 years old, but I’m especially happy to cast my vote today,” Heather Roberts said.

Both were registered Republicans for a number of years, but have since switched parties and have identified as Democrats for some time.

“I didn’t want to be affiliated with that anymore. To me, even if I were to agree with every one of Trump’s policies, I can’t get on board with the lack of integrity, the hate, and the fear mongering. It’s just not something that I morally can join,” Heather said.

“I flipped parties long before Trump, but my real turning point was when the government could muster up a couple billion dollars for a wall, but not a couple hundred million for education,” Michael said.

Today, the two decided to come and vote in person for their first voting experience in Vermont. “For me personally, I’ve always voted in person and I’m generally young and healthy and I can wear a mask and social distance, so I felt safe enough to do it. We’re also not in a super highly populated area that made me feel uncomfortable to come out,” Heather Roberts said. “I think a lot of it was that we just moved here from West Virginia and it was just timing and the convenience,” Michael added.

Getting registered to vote in Vermont was at the front of the couple’s minds when they moved here two months ago. “You know, I think we were more stressed about getting registered to vote than about our license plate and drivers license registrations,” Michael said.

After adopting their 14-year-old son three years ago, who is a science and math wiz, education also suddenly became a top priority for their family.

“We wanted to get him into the best schools and give him every opportunity we could, so that’s another reason we found ourselves here,” Heather said.

For Heather and Michael, housing options and finding more affordable housing for people and and more affordable land prices is a big local government issue on their minds, as it is an issue that they are currently dealing with.

The couple are entrepreneurs and own a digital marketing firm out of their home, so another issue at the front of their minds is technology and high speed internet accessibility in Vermont, as it is essential to their business and they believe it will also help draw more people and new businesses to Vermont.

“Today I’m a ball of anxiety, but I’m happy to see people out voting. I think it’s an important part of our civic duty and so I’m happy to be here and to see others voting,” Heather said.

-Brooke McKeen

High School sweethearts turn out for Trump

8:57 a.m. High school sweethearts, Linda and Damian Boivin, 63 and 64 respectively, exited the Georgia School in Georgia, VT feeling good about their in person voting experience this year.

The couple are both retired bankers and say that they have always voted in person. “I just like doing it in person. I don’t need anyone to send me a ballot, I’m going to come out and do my duty,” Damian Boivin said.

He added that his twenty-two years serving in the US Navy has given him a certain respect and dedication to duty. With every election, the couple get excited about voting and they say that this year is no different than the rest.

“We vote every year and we are excited to vote every year,” Linda Boivin said. The two share a confidence and a hope that Trump will win the presidential election again.

“I feel confident that Trump’s going to come in ahead again,” Damian Boivin said. “I think he’s proven himself over the last four and people are expecting the same, if not more, from him.” Linda Boivin nodded in agreement.

In terms of state government, Damian said that he usually votes Republican and he did the same this year for Phil Scott, although he didn’t really want to, but felt he didn’t have much of a choice.

“I’m a little disappointed in Scott because he flip flopped so much last year, especially on gun reform. I expected more out of him,” Damian said.

“I just hope that everyone gets out there and does their part and votes,” Linda said in her parting words. She advised voters to “not let this COVID stop you.”

-Brooke McKeen

Winooski voter remained undecided until last moment

8:57 a.m. — Thick snowfall and 30-degree temperatures did not dismay the long line of voters outside the Winooski Senior Center.

Thelma Lavigne, 69, a retiree, contemplated her decision outside the polling place.

“I haven’t decided until I go in there, but it’s rough,” Lavinge said.

Lavigne voiced her concern regarding the state’s plan to mail ballots to all registered voters in the general election. “Some people got seven in the mail, but I never received it,” Lavinge said.

Lavigne voted in person today to ensure her vote will be counted, Lavigne said.

-Mia Dillon

Essex Voter Casts Vote For Environmental Justice

8:53 a.m. — It’s Misti Wudtke’s first time voting in Vermont.

“I just moved to Vermont. I arrived on Oct. 10 so I didn’t receive a paper ballot in the mail.”

For her work as a GIS analyst, Misti chose to move here from Washington state. She was impressed with how easy the registration process was.

“The voting process today, both registration and voting, was easy. Even coming in a kind of last minute circumstance like I did today,” Wudtke said.

A lifelong democrat, Wudtke believes that climate change is the most pressing issue of our time.

“To me the biggest issues are environmental: climate change and everything else that goes with it. I think those are some of the biggest threats to humanity right now,” Wudtke said.

For her, a vote for Biden is a step in the right environmental direction.

-Margo Coppes and Noah Lafaso

Burlington voter wants to 'get this over with’

8:50 a.m. — A sudden morning snowfall saw voters bundled up to cast their ballots in Burlington.

Aaron Dellacroce, 31, was happy with the “quick and easy” voting at the Fletcher Free Library.

“[My hope is] to get this over with, to get to the next step as quickly as possible,” he said.

Dellacroce is a baker and farmer in Burlington.

-Sarah Freedman

Colchester voter waited long — but not too long — to cast a ballot

8:50 a.m. — Jahala Dudley, a 29-year-old hemp farmer, exits the poll wearing a blue puffy jacket and mustard yellow hat to keep the cold at bay.

She’s come into the polls in Colchester to drop off her ballot after waiting too long to mail it in.

“That’s called procrastination, but I made it happen,” says Dudley.

For Dudley, one of her voting concerns is how local politicians will impact her business.

“When I’m voting I’m always thinking of agriculture because it’s my career focus, and when it comes to local politics I’m thinking about how they’ve supported cannabis issues and hemp issues in the past,” Dudley said.

Jahala is also concerned that Vermont’s representatives lack diversity, and that women are underrepresented.

“I hope to see more women in state politics, and national politics” Dudley said.

-Aidan Scanlon

South Burlington voter asked to promise not to mail ballot after voting in person

8:50 a.m. — A brisk wind and light snowfall met Rebecca Wicke at the Orchard School in South Burlington. She was accompanied to her voting place by her young son.

“This is such an important election and I wanted to make sure I was here physically to make sure my vote went into the scanner. Not that I didn’t trust it, I just, it's the first year and it's such an important election that I feel comfortable doing it here,” Wicke said.

Wicke does wish that she knew to bring the ballot mailed to her to her polling place. Wicke was asked to sign a document promising not to send in the one at home.

- Adrianna Maher

Milton House candidate predicts high turnout

8:20 a.m. — On a blustery day, after the first snowfall covers the ground in a cold sheet of white, candidate Todd Buik stands outside of the Milton Municipal Office to show citizens his commitment to this year’s election, he said.

“This is my fourth time running for the House of Representatives, District 10,” he said.”We need people representing them.”

Buik predicts a higher voter turn out this year.

“It is always shameful when only 40% of voters show up, so this year we have a real representation,” Buik said.

“And on a day like this,” he smiles under his mask, as he goes to help direct voters to the correct lines as feet freeze in the snow, “It’s important to be here to suffer with them in a way.”

-Kenzie Imhoff

Salisbury family casts votes in-person to avoid mail delays

8:16 a.m. — A fresh layer of snow covered the steps of the Salisbury Town Clerk’s office.

The Ploof family — Wyatt, Tara and their son Ian — stood outside, anxiously waiting to drop their pre-filled ballots into the drop box.

“We were concerned about the amount of time it would take for the ballots to get here in the mail,” Tara said.

Wyatt and Ian shook their heads in agreement.

-Brooke Rubright

Winooski voter claims registration challenged in Burlington

8:11 a.m. — Jeffrey Spaulding, 39, stood in line bundled up in layers of jackets at his second polling place of the day to submit his ballot in person after his registration was challenged at a Burlington location.

“I’m excited about getting home and getting back to the warmth,” he said. Pointing to the man in front of him wearing Birkenstock sandals, he noted “I’m more admiring of this guy, he doesn’t have socks on for goodness sake that’s impressive.”

Spaulding, a security officer at the UVM Medical Center, worked throughout the COVID pandemic.

“I lived it every day. It was tough and I watched the current Presidential administration not really care about it,” Spaulding said.

Braving the cold at his final polling destination of the day, Spaulding expressed his hopes for his vote in this election. “I’d like to think my vote counts today and I’d like to think things will change after tomorrow.”

-Katie Wynn

Campaigners begin to overtake voters in Hinesburg

8:10 a.m. — With the morning rush over, Hinesburg Town Hall voting station begins to have more campaigners outside than voters.

Bill Lippert, 70, candidate for Hinesburg State Representative, stands outside the polls every two years to meet voters face-to-face.

“It’s just another way to, particularly during COVID where we’re not interacting with people much, say hello to people who are coming to the polls.”

Lippert is an incumbent, running against challenger Sarah Toscano in this year’s election. He is a Democrat.

Pro-Trump candidate campaigns in Essex

8:02 a.m. — “We’re really spiraling into a progressive agenda,” said Maryse Dunbar, a Republican candidate for state representative in Essex. “As long as we vote for freedom then we have a chance of keeping it.”

The presidential election represents a crucial decision for the American public, Dunbar said.

“Too many people are looking at the personality [of the candidates] and not looking at the substance. People are looking at [Trump’s] words and actions and it seems harsh and obnoxious but you have to look at all that he’s done in his four years in office.”

The “mainstream media” hasn’t given Trump's presidency fair coverage, Dunbar said.

“There’s so much [of the things he’s done for us], the list is miles long. And you never hear a thing on the news media.”

A Trump victory is important, Dunbar said.

“America’s going down and we need to change things.” Dunbar concludes. “We need another four years in order to right the wrongs.”

-Margo Coppes and Noah Lafaso

Retired voter is focused on national issues

8:02 a.m. — Millie Therrien, 84, of Westford, said she’s not concerned about any local issues, focusing instead on national issues. Therrien is retired.

“I always vote [in person] every election,” Therrien said.

Voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, she says she likes Biden’s “promises and plans for the future.”

-Rowan Hawthorne

Republican Colchester voter faces ‘a little anxiety’

7:45 a.m. — The sun starts to break through the clouds as Verne Davis, 65, exits a polling station in Colchester. Davis voted in-person partially because he changed his mind on his mail-in ballot.

“I wanted to change some of the selections I had made on the ballot I was going to send” said Davis.

For many, election day carries a sense of both hope and fear — Verne is no exception.

“A little anxiety but I’m hopeful it’s going to turn out the way I expect,” said Davis.

When asked if he wanted to add anything he simply said, “ Vote Republican”.

-Aidan Scanlon

Winooski voters say in-person voting works for them

7:45 a.m. — A small line of voters stood outside the Winooski Senior Center waiting to be let in to vote. Greg Morris, a first time voter in Vermont and a Winooski resident, was one of the first people to get their vote in.

"I had no reason to feel that voting from home was a necessity," Morris said

Morris declined to say who they picked for President today.

Catherine Horne, a UVM Ph.d. student, shared why they came early and in-person to vote.

"I just love voting in-person," Horne said.

Horne believes the community center has done a great job and she felt no reason to not vote as usual today. Catherine voted for Joe Biden and is looking forward to whats to come this week.

-Ciara McEneany

Former Westford Selectboard member casts vote for Trump

7:42 a.m. — Casey Mathieu walked out of the Westford School polling station with purpose. His blue eyes peeped over the top of his mask as he spoke about his 2020 voting experience.

At 39, this small business owner voted for President Donald Trump both in 2016 and 2020, citing hopes for a brighter future.

On a national level, he’s concerned about debt, healthcare, and the stock market, and locally he’s concerned about high property taxes.

This year, voting in person allowed him to greet to fellow community members, many of whom he knows from his time working on the Select Board.

- Rowan Hawthorne

‘We’ve become such a mean nation’ Colchester voter says

7:36 a.m. — Lesli Ritchie, 60, a technical writer, chose to vote in person because she believes it to be important, and she doesn’t trust the mail right now. Her biggest fear is that President Donald Trump will stay in office, and her biggest hope is that Joe Biden wins.

With her vote, Ritchie hopes to keep Vermont progressive, “and a little weird.” She said, “I told my son, it didn’t used to be like this.”

Ritchie believes the country is a disgrace right now, and [she] cannot believe what [Trump] has gotten away with. She hopes that every person votes in this election.

With tear-filled eyes, she said “I have no words to describe how sad I am that we’ve become such a mean nation.”

-Olivia Allegra

‘I just don’t feel safe with the current administration’

7:33 a.m. — Winooski voters stood six feet apart in the parking lot of the Winooski Senior Center at 7a.m. on Tuesday morning, eagerly waiting in the snow to get their in-person vote counted.

Among these voters was Diego Javier-Jimenez, a chemistry Ph.D. student at UVM, who took a day off to go in-person to vote. “I actually forgot to get an absentee ballot,” He said with a laugh.

Like voters everywhere, Javier-Jimenez went to the polls today with key issues in mind.

“Being a minority, I voted obviously for Biden. I just don’t feel safe with the current administration, I think with the civil unrest that is happening, and also with not denouncing racism.”

- Zoe Hulina

Georgia voter hopes for shift in town where Trump won narrowly in 2016

7:30 a.m. — Serena Peck, 52, who works in administration with scholarships and grants at VSAC, dropped off her mail-in ballot at the polls in Georgia, Vermont.

“I felt like I really wanted to have the accomplishment of having dropped it off myself. I did fill it out at home, but I wanted that satisfaction of dropping it in the box,” Peck said.

In the 2016 election, Trump won the town of Georgia by four votes. Peck said that she really hopes there has been a shift in town since the last election, especially based on what she has seen with the current president’s activities and attitude over the last four years.

“I really think that he is the wrong person to be leading this country,” she said. Peck added that this election, she voted for candidates on the local and national level who had people in mind, rather than themselves.

-Brooke McKeen

Shelburne voter finds community on election day

7:25 a.m. — The snow and wind Tuesday morning didn’t stop residents from casting their votes at the town office gym, a polling location in Shelburne. At the door, voters were greeted by the familiar faces of volunteers and poll workers.

47 year-old, Dan McLean said he has always voted in person.

“I think there’s a community aspect to coming out and voting,” McLean said.

McLean voted for Biden this election in hopes that the U.S. will have a different four years moving forward than those we’ve seen with Trump, McLean said.

- Lilly Young

Hinesburg voters face the cold

7:05 a.m. — Despite being 30 degrees with winds strong enough to knock over lawn signs, Hinesburg voters lined up early at town hall Tuesday morning to cast their ballots.

Megan Ashley, 24, a full-time eBay lister, was there to take in the experience.

“My personal thinking was that I’m a healthy, able-bodied person so I felt I had the opportunity to vote in person,” Ashley said.

As a Democrat concerned about climate change and police brutality, she plans to vote for Joe Biden. She’ll also vote for Phil Scott due to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

-Tyler Lederer