From the consistent updates on social media to outspoken advertisers, the pressure to vote is almost everywhere you turn. But for some people, their current circumstances keep them from the polls.
Elsayed Fadhi is unable to vote because he only has a green card. Fadhi immigrated to America from Egypt 10 years ago, looking for work.
As he sat outside his New York Halal Food truck parked on North Pleasant Street, Fadhi said while he could not vote, “if somebody is over 18, I think [they have] a right to vote because [they’re] old enough to choose what [they] want.”
Pardis Parvizi, a third-year grad student in Public Health from Iran, has similar thoughts. She said that people’s effect on the country’s political system can impact and change people’s future depending on how they vote.
These votes have big influences outside of the country as well, Parvizi said. “The last time that President Trump [was elected to office], he banned any Muslim to come to the U.S. My country is a Muslim country, but I’m not a Muslim (I’m non-religious). But that decision had an effect on my life, too.”
“[During] that time, I wanted to apply for American universities but I couldn’t,” Parvizi said. “So I waited until the next president came and then I applied again. So I think it has a big influence on everybody’s life.”
Parvizi further states that while everyone’s votes are important and create an influence, third-party voters do not have as much impact. “I don’t think their votes matter because it’s really competitive just between two options and I don’t think any other independent candidate will have as much influence on the results.”
Hakim Stewart, an Amherst resident, cannot vote due to past convicted felonies. Despite this, he still pays attention and tries to stay updated as best he can, even if he doesn’t trust all of the information being presented.
“I feel like it’s messed up on the perception that everything is given on television and that people really don’t know factual facts,” Stewart said. “Things are fabricated and twisted on Instagram, TikTok and all that.”
Leo Inoue attends Amherst-Pelham High School and cannot vote because he is too young. He sees the media as an echo chamber.
“If you like a certain candidate, most of your stuff is probably gonna be other people supporting that candidate and you’ll feel a lot more strongly,” Inoue said. “[When] everyone agrees, you’ll be a lot more sure your candidate is going to win.”
Parvizi, Stewart and Inoue all said they would vote for Harris if they had the chance.
“Right now, I definitely have certain qualms with her on certain aspects of what she does, but I would rather her over Trump,” Stewart said. “I don’t know the specific policies, but I’ve heard certain things [regarding Trump] not understanding the culture of things [and] understanding what is going on and still trying to stay by a certain code even though things are changing.”
Fadhi would vote for Trump. “When he was the president before, the economy was getting better. But since COVID started, it has messed up the whole country. So I think he lost because of something that was not coming from his hand,” he said.
*This story has been updated to more thoroughly represent the perspectives of individuals who cannot participate in this year’s election*
Kalina Kornacki can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter @KalinaKornacki.
