As Alexandria voters shuffled to the polls this morning (Tuesday), many said they were casting ballots motivated by the government shutdown and their views on the Trump administration.
At precincts in Old Town, Mount Vernon and near Seminary Hill/Landmark, several voters lamented the shutdown and told ALXnow they do not like the political direction the country is turning toward — a sentiment fueling their ballot box decisions, particularly in Virginia’s gubernatorial election.
Poll workers and precinct captains reported seeing hundreds of voters as of 9:30 a.m., and they expect a citywide in-person voting turnout of about 30%.
“It’s been steady,” Jim Bender, Mount Vernon’s precinct captain, said. “The registrar of elections looked back at 2021 — the last time we had statewide elections — and she’s predicting around 2,000 [voters] here.”
Old Town
Elizabeth, a government contractor, told ALXnow she voted because she believes the Trump administration has “destroyed what we work so hard [for], and why people want to be here and be an American.”
“The ICE raids, it’s just an abomination, what we’re doing,” she said. “They’re finding loopholes in the laws, and they’re just not thinking of the people and democracy — what the country stands for.”
Elizabeth was one of several voters this morning who told ALXnow their attention was fixed on the race for Virginia’s next governor. John, a retiree, said he cast a vote for Abigail Spanberger in hopes of “trying to make sure that the government is there to take care of the people.”
It was his first time voting a straight Democratic ticket.
“To be honest, I’ve never thought this way previously,” John said. “I think that politics has gotten to a point where it’s left out a lot of everyday people, and they’ve sort of lost sight of it.”
Jane, meanwhile, expressed disappointment at uncertainty surrounding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the government shutdown.
SNAP users’ benefits cards were not reloaded Saturday as funding ran dry. At the state level, Virginia allocated $1 million in new funding for food banks and launched an emergency nutrition initiative yesterday (Monday).
“I don’t use SNAP and WIC, but what I heard is these people are not intending to fund that, you know,” Jane said. “I will say, I don’t particularly care for what’s currently happening.”
Seminary Hill/Landmark
Bill P., a Republican, said he was concerned about communism taking root in Virginia.
“I don’t like what I see happening in New York City, and I’m afraid it’s going to come across the country,” Bill told ALXnow. “I’m concerned about a communist getting elected there, and I don’t want to see that in Alexandria or Virginia or anywhere else.”
Democrat David L. said he cast a vote for Spanberger to support “veterans, active duty spouses [and] teachers.”
“She’s focused on those issues and improving the health care system,” he added.
Mount Vernon
James C. said he was motivated against the Trump administration but ultimately cast a mixed ticket ballot.
“I don’t vote along party lines,” James said. “I voted for candidates that I thought would stand up to the current administration, but I also did not vote for some candidates that I thought were unfit for the job.”
Conversely, Randy T. said he voted along party lines for Democrats, hoping to inspire “some type of changes against our current U.S. government leadership.”
“Now, do I feel better after voting? I don’t know,” Randy said. “Let’s see what happens over the next four years.”
