Tuesday’s primary election drew voters who usually stay home.
“I feel it is my obligation. I owe it to my country to vote,” West Brunswick resident Kaitlyn Winans, 21, who was casting a ballot for the first time, said.
A registered Democrat, she voted for Bernie Sanders, whose plan for free college tuition appeals to her. She thinks Sanders has a natural ability to connect with his audience and can do great things for the country. Her friends were also talking about the enthusiasm Sanders is bringing to the election.
“I just could not miss out on this one,” she said. “He’s definitely made a huge impact on how many people are voting this year.”
She said she didn’t consider voting for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Tom Bowitz Sr., 75, of Pottsville, who is a first-time voter, voted at 8:30 a.m. at Foursquare Gospel Church, Pottsville. He likes what he hears when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks. He voted for Trump.
“Donald Trump is as honest as they get. ... The truth comes out. It’s automatic,” he said.
He said Trump is authentic.
“Trump tells it like it is. He calls a spade a spade,” he said.
It took a lot to inspire Bowitz to vote. Before deciding to register to the vote earlier this year, he didn’t believe his vote made a difference. He said politicians say what they want to get elected.
“They are going to do what they are going to do,” he said.
He is optimistic his vote will make a difference.
“Maybe my vote will help to make America great again,” Bowitz said.
His wife, Carolyn Bowitz, 72, is a longtime voter.
“I’ve been voting since I was 18,” she said.
She voted for Trump because she likes his straightforward message.
While she has tried to persuade her husband to vote in the past, she didn’t push the issue. Of his voting Tuesday, she is proud of him. His voting is even the more important because recently he received a cancer-free diagnosis from esophageal cancer that was diagnosed last year. He went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she said.
Voters could cast their ballots for president, delegates and other offices. Voters were also asked to vote for two questions on the ballot, although one did not count. Pennsylvania has a closed primary, meaning Republicans and Democrats were the voters who could select the candidates of their choice, although the questions were open to any registered voter.
The turnout was slightly higher than the last presidential primary in 2012. On Tuesday, of Schuylkill County’s 84,451 registered voters, 37,684 voted, which is 44.62 percent. In 2012, 29,522 or the 76,664 registered voters turned out, 38.51 percent.
Dave Staskel, 57, of West Brunswick, was disappointed Tuesday. He didn’t get to vote because he is registered as an independent. He thought he was registered as a Republican.
“I wanted to vote for Trump,” he said.
He is not happy with the direction the country is headed.
“Nothing is happening with the Democrats. They are always too liberal,” he said.
Dennis Schaeffer, West Brunswick, said he is also upset with the direction of the country.
“I am angry like most of the Americans are right now. I think we need a change,” he said.
Emily Babb, 47, of Pottsville, also believes it is her civic duty to vote.
“Get out and vote because it does make a difference,” she said.
Babb has been voting since she was 18.
“This year seems to be the most interesting election ever,” she said.
As a Republican, she does not do straight-ticket voting but votes by the candidates’ stance on the issues. With Trump, she agrees with his stance on making sure immigration laws are more strictly enforced. She also likes the fact he is “not a politician.”
The idea of voting for Ted Cruz or John Kasich didn’t interest her much, although she was leaning toward Kasich at first. She appreciates how Trump isn’t afraid to say what he thinks. Her parents voted often when she was younger, which is something she passed along to her children. Her daughter, Jenna Ogden, 19, of Pottsville, also voted for Trump on Tuesday.
“It does make a big difference to vote,” Ogden said.