

"I think this is a pretty influential election and it's going to make or break a lot of things in our country. This is my first time voting, because it's such an influential election. I didn't have a family, and I guess I wasn't informed enough. Now I have a family and kids, and there's a lot of things that could change and affect us."
— Jessica Athison, DeBary.
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Willie: "I did vote, but it was like, wow. This year, honestly, I didn’t know who to vote for. I just knew we needed to get Trump out of there. He’s not good to be a president."
Latoya: "We have to get Trump out of there. He’s ridiculous."
— Willie, left, and Latoya Barthel, DeLand.
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Judy: It's your right to vote.
Mike: "It's a very important election this year. Of course, every election is important. This one, there's more at stake."
Judy: "Either communism or freedom, that's the difference."
— Mike Setteducati, right, and Judy Forrester, DeBary. The two, in their 60s, said they have voted in every election they could since they turned 18 years old.
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"I voted because I'm a woman of a minority background: Filipino and Czech. It's important to come out today and speak your voice. I think this has definitely been a year of drawing lines on what your boundaries are, I think this is one of those times where it's important to speak what's important to you, and where you draw your lines."
— Paulina Gardner, DeBary.
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"It's your public duty — that's what you should do. Be responsible for your world, your state, your country. Vote in every election. I have since I was 18, and I'm over 60. They're all important, but I think this one is at a crisis... Things will get better, we've got to keep remembering that. Everybody's got to do their part, mask and everything else. Patience, perseverance."
— Bubba Imes, Deltona.
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![<p><p>"I voted for America — that's what I voted for. I voted for the way things should be, and the way I grew up, and what I defended ... It's the biggest [election] I've ever been a part of, and it's more important than anything in the world. I spent 5 1/2 years in the military, I just want to live my life, wear clothes, eat food, and have a roof over my head ... <span id="docs-internal-guid-38e622fb-7fff-25c2-1a02-06e35a156454"><span>Based on what has happened in the last six months, we need to change.</span></span> "</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Robert Loria, DeLand.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/0582b4823b1741c5a86f95a31a37a8be-560x420.jpg)
"I voted for America — that's what I voted for. I voted for the way things should be, and the way I grew up, and what I defended ... It's the biggest [election] I've ever been a part of, and it's more important than anything in the world. I spent 5 1/2 years in the military, I just want to live my life, wear clothes, eat food, and have a roof over my head ... Based on what has happened in the last six months, we need to change. "
— Robert Loria, DeLand.
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![<p><p>"Because I believe in democracy, and that's a constitutional right I have as a U.S. citizen. We have too many things that can be jeopardized and [that] are at risk. It doesn't matter who wins or loses; we have to vote and show the world that this is the most democratic country in the world. Social distance, wear a mask, and go out and vote!"</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Carlos Fabre, Deltona.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/05bd470305e62eb3987adf6fcee638e0-560x420.jpg)
"Because I believe in democracy, and that's a constitutional right I have as a U.S. citizen. We have too many things that can be jeopardized and [that] are at risk. It doesn't matter who wins or loses; we have to vote and show the world that this is the most democratic country in the world. Social distance, wear a mask, and go out and vote!"
— Carlos Fabre, Deltona.
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"I came out and voted today because I think, for my generation, this is the do-or-die for us, almost. I think it's very important to use the rights that we do have. This was actually my first time voting. I used to be one of those people that didn't really think it mattered, but this one, I felt like it was my right to do so ... I think the hatred this year has just like, kind of sent me overboard. Just everything going on, it's gotten to that breaking point. It felt really good."
— Rebecca Raines, DeLand.
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![<p><p>"[I voted] to make my voice heard ... Since I was 18, I've voted in maybe 10, 11 [elections]. This feels like the most important. I think we will not see something like this again, at least not in my lifetime."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— David Schexnayder, Deltona.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/352502de0476edd1eecffaed973861df-560x420.jpg)
"[I voted] to make my voice heard ... Since I was 18, I've voted in maybe 10, 11 [elections]. This feels like the most important. I think we will not see something like this again, at least not in my lifetime."
— David Schexnayder, Deltona.
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"I'm voting to make sure everyone's voice is heard no matter what their opinions are. To make sure that my children have a good future. To just make sure freedom is a thing ... There's a lot of, in general, hate going on. It doesn't matter what side you're on. I feel like everybody should practice kindness no matter what."
— Britney Fox with kids Delainey and Decker, Orange City.
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![<p><p>"When you know what you had, and what the other person had when he was in power, you need to make a decision of which one was worse. I made my decision based on that: which one is less worse. [There was] a lot of noise for both parties. The last four years, I've felt happy before this. The years prior, we felt used, like they did whatever they wanted with the economy. To be honest with you, I was happy for the past four years, I want to continue being happy."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Neff Guevara, Deltona.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cc52c3f8ed53de12fd11112de3569b8d-560x420.jpg)
"When you know what you had, and what the other person had when he was in power, you need to make a decision of which one was worse. I made my decision based on that: which one is less worse. [There was] a lot of noise for both parties. The last four years, I've felt happy before this. The years prior, we felt used, like they did whatever they wanted with the economy. To be honest with you, I was happy for the past four years, I want to continue being happy."
— Neff Guevara, Deltona.
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![<p><p>"I voted for the Senate and the county, [but I'm] not really concerned with the Presidential election. We don’t vote for it. That’s the Electoral College, we have no say so in that ... My ancestors put a lot on the line to give me the ability to vote, so I’m out here for that as well."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Mark Joyce, DeLand.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/80ebfad16700436af426dc5908e98301-560x420.jpg)
"I voted for the Senate and the county, [but I'm] not really concerned with the Presidential election. We don’t vote for it. That’s the Electoral College, we have no say so in that ... My ancestors put a lot on the line to give me the ability to vote, so I’m out here for that as well."
— Mark Joyce, DeLand.
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![<p><p>"[I voted] because it's important. I feel like you can't have a say-so in what goes on in the world if you don't participate in voting. I'm 22, and I feel like it's really important that people my age that are younger care about the stuff that's going on in the world ... I think it's really important, and it's a right that a lot of people didn't have before, and I'm glad that I have that right now and I want to participate in any change that I can. I feel like every election is just as important, but I feel like this one is a little serious because of the climate of the world right now ... I'm also a Black person. A lot of these Trump supporters are white supremacists, and I'm really against all of that. I don't support Trump at all."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Jasmyne Lundy, Deltona.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/6ffd787f9c2b16304d875e73a14eec44-560x420.jpg)
"[I voted] because it's important. I feel like you can't have a say-so in what goes on in the world if you don't participate in voting. I'm 22, and I feel like it's really important that people my age that are younger care about the stuff that's going on in the world ... I think it's really important, and it's a right that a lot of people didn't have before, and I'm glad that I have that right now and I want to participate in any change that I can. I feel like every election is just as important, but I feel like this one is a little serious because of the climate of the world right now ... I'm also a Black person. A lot of these Trump supporters are white supremacists, and I'm really against all of that. I don't support Trump at all."
— Jasmyne Lundy, Deltona.
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![<p><p>"Civic duty. We have to. I have a 7-year-old child, and you have to teach them at an early age [that] we're lucky to live in a democracy. Regardless of who wins, we have to teach them to respect the office. I vote every four years, I haven't voted in every election, but I vote every four years ... [This election is] probably the most important one, of my lifetime, anyways. I don't feel like the country is heading in the right direction right now. This isn't the 1950s, where we're just an independent country doing separate things. We need to be ... moving away from the nationalistic, and more toward the global view of things."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Hansel Sanchez, DeLand.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/85c1475ca787aa00363f1e2fa8734fb3-560x420.jpg)
"Civic duty. We have to. I have a 7-year-old child, and you have to teach them at an early age [that] we're lucky to live in a democracy. Regardless of who wins, we have to teach them to respect the office. I vote every four years, I haven't voted in every election, but I vote every four years ... [This election is] probably the most important one, of my lifetime, anyways. I don't feel like the country is heading in the right direction right now. This isn't the 1950s, where we're just an independent country doing separate things. We need to be ... moving away from the nationalistic, and more toward the global view of things."
— Hansel Sanchez, DeLand.
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"I voted for Trump. I voted for him because he is the first person in my lifetime who has gotten up there and said 'I'm going to do this, this, and this,' and he got up there and did 'this, this, and this.' I'm hoping for more of that, and the fact that I am against abortions. What a person does with their own body is up to them, but, when it's a means of birth control, then no. I do not believe in it. I've only voted twice in my life, and I'm almost 60 years old. Once was to keep somebody out and once was to keep somebody in. This is probably the most important election in history. It's good versus evil, if you ask me. We're in the end times — people better listen. That's my point of view, anyway."
— Rene Allman, DeLand.
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"I voted because I would like to see someone who doesn’t think my existence is wrong in office. I don’t like seeing idiots control the way we live our lives. The current administration believes that people who are nonbinary, transgender, anyone who is not the “norm,” don’t have the same rights as everyone else. It’s offensive to me, as I am nonbinary and I am pansexual. It’s very concerning for me to see that my rights may not be anymore, or equally as valid as someone who is cisgender or heterosexual. I was not able to vote last election because of work, however, I made the time to come out today. My employer is actually an immigrant, and she feels very strongly about this, too. She gave me time off for this."
— Cori, Deltona.
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Joseph: "There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on ... Looking at the news and everything, just looking out at everything, it compelled me to make sure to come out and vote."
Joseph's dad: "If people want to grow up in this country how it was, they need to keep it how it is."
— Joseph Hernandez with his father, who preferred not to be named, DeLand.
Joseph's father has voted in every election he could since he turned 18. He said he was happy that he could vote together with his son.
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"I voted a straight, emphatic anti-Democrat ticket. The Democrats stand for speech suppression, Big Tech monopoly, unlimited immigration. I will not ever vote for a Democrat. I voted pure Trump, every Republican. I'm an active voter, but this is one of the most ones I've ever voted in. Trump better win."
— Craig Brelsford, DeBary.
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![<p><p>"[I voted for] the change this country needs — the change back to common sense and decency. It's not all about the economy. That's nice ... but there's a thing called common sense and decency that has been lacking for the last four years. I don't want to see babies in cages, [and] I don't want to see Black people shot in the street like animals and nothing's done about it. Of course, you know I'm voting for Biden. And I don't want to see the police defunded, because people that want to grab women by their private parts should be locked up ... I've only missed one election since 1984, my mom was having a heart attack and I was in the emergency room."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Carol Reeves, DeLand.</em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/c6ae5ac9afff477b121a3b06998515a6-560x420.jpg)
"[I voted for] the change this country needs — the change back to common sense and decency. It's not all about the economy. That's nice ... but there's a thing called common sense and decency that has been lacking for the last four years. I don't want to see babies in cages, [and] I don't want to see Black people shot in the street like animals and nothing's done about it. Of course, you know I'm voting for Biden. And I don't want to see the police defunded, because people that want to grab women by their private parts should be locked up ... I've only missed one election since 1984, my mom was having a heart attack and I was in the emergency room."
— Carol Reeves, DeLand.
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Etzell: "It’s important to do, it shapes our country. Especially in today’s climate, why wouldn’t you?"
Olivia: "Why wouldn’t you vote for the way we live and our lives? Kind of seems dumb not to. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh!"
— Olivia Rodriguez, left, and Etzell Medrano, DeLand.
Both were too young to vote in the 2016 election and were excited to vote in their first presidential election.
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![<p><p><strong>Eric</strong>: "Well, me, I'm a convicted felon, so it's my first time voting. I'm so happy to vote. That brought me out, and I hope it brought a lot of other people out. Me and my girlfriend, we suffered from the coronavirus. It hit us kind of hard ... People are getting sick — it's not over. I just lost a close friend of mine since first grade; we went to his funeral last week."</p><p><strong>Monica</strong>: "This country is better than it's being right now, [than] what it has come to. It is sad when I have a 12-year-old daughter who has cried and is scared to go outside because she feels like because of her skin tone, she is going to be killed. Our president is teaching divisive bigotry, sexism, [and] racism. I feel like he doesn't care about anybody, with the exception of if you're a millionaire ... I know America is better than this. That small minority is being very vocal with the hatred; the majority of us, we're better than this."</p><p><strong>Eric</strong>: "We need to remain optimistic. We're Americans, we're the greatest. We're going to be OK; it's just a rough patch. We're going to be fine ... It's kind of hard right now, but we have to remain optimistic, and we'll be fine. We always have been."</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Eric McClendon and Monica Simpson, DeLand. </em></p></p><p>BEACON PHOTO/NOAH HERTZ</p>](https://beacononlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/916999e3573f8c1dc23a85703ddb3253-560x420.jpg)
Eric: "Well, me, I'm a convicted felon, so it's my first time voting. I'm so happy to vote. That brought me out, and I hope it brought a lot of other people out. Me and my girlfriend, we suffered from the coronavirus. It hit us kind of hard ... People are getting sick — it's not over. I just lost a close friend of mine since first grade; we went to his funeral last week."
Monica: "This country is better than it's being right now, [than] what it has come to. It is sad when I have a 12-year-old daughter who has cried and is scared to go outside because she feels like because of her skin tone, she is going to be killed. Our president is teaching divisive bigotry, sexism, [and] racism. I feel like he doesn't care about anybody, with the exception of if you're a millionaire ... I know America is better than this. That small minority is being very vocal with the hatred; the majority of us, we're better than this."
Eric: "We need to remain optimistic. We're Americans, we're the greatest. We're going to be OK; it's just a rough patch. We're going to be fine ... It's kind of hard right now, but we have to remain optimistic, and we'll be fine. We always have been."
— Eric McClendon and Monica Simpson, DeLand.
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On Election Day, The Beacon went to several of West Volusia’s polling places to ask voters, “Why did you vote?”
For some, a specific candidate or issue was the main motivation to come out to the polls. But nearly everyone The Beacon spoke to agreed that voting is a civic duty that everyone should perform, and that this particular election felt very important to participate in.