They might not be able to agree on who should be elected president or whether the country is headed in the right or wrong direction, but there was one thing that a handful of Fresno voters had in common on Tuesday — the importance of casting their ballot.

Stephanie Pinto took time off from work at a tax preparation office to vote in person at the West Fresno Regional Center on East Cesar Chavez Boulevard in southwest Fresno. Pinto said she wanted to make sure her vote counts this time.

“I did that because of last election, my signature wasn’t recognized for some reason. They sent me a letter. And so basically, my vote didn’t count last year or last time we voted,” she said.

Pinto said she wanted to make sure her vote counts this time, “especially with everything on the line.”

That includes threats by Republican candidate Donald Trump to deport undocumented immigrants, which Pinto said is terrifying for families that could be torn apart.

“It’s scary, it’s scary,” she said, adding that she voted for Kamala Harris for president.

Azucena Macias dropped off her ballot at the Fresno County Elections Office in downtown Fresno before returning to her job at an immigration law office. Macias said threats against immigrants and the nation’s broken immigration system were on her mind when she voted for Harris.

“I believe that she will help change the future. And I do hope that we can elect our first woman president,” Macias said. She said she voted for the first time in 2020 after obtaining her U.S. citizenship.

America First for This Voter

At the Woodward Park Library, the city’s busiest vote center, voters were lined up on a sidewalk all the way to Perrin Avenue on Tuesday morning.

The voters included Joshua Zemanski, wearing a red tank top with “Trump 2020 Keep America Great” on the front. He came on Election Day to the vote center with his filled-in ballot. Zemanski, a tile worker, said his presidential vote matched his shirt.

“Trump, because I want someone who puts America first,” he said.

If Trump is elected, Zemanski said he would like to see him shut off the nation’s support to other countries, including Ukraine. “America first, the veterans here, take care of stuff here. That would probably be the most important. And get of men out of women’s sports and things like that,” he said.

Susan Habib declined to say who she voted for for president. But whoever is elected on Tuesday should put their focus immediately on education and agriculture, she said.

“I have a daughter who is in special ed, and we know a lot of money needs to be dedicated to educate our youngsters, whether it’s with special needs or not. They are our future,” she said. “So, please, whichever president makes it up there, pay attention to our kids at every level and let them be successful.”

Long Line at Woodward

Tina Peterson said she was surprised to see such a long line at Woodward Park Library when she arrived Tuesday morning to cast her ballot. She knows she could have saved some time using the drop-off boxes, but she said she likes the part of voting that includes handing off her ballot to a human being.

Peterson said she was voting for Harris in part because of the changes that occurred under Trump that put new restrictions on women’s right to choose whether to have an abortion. Peterson said she’s concerned for younger generations like her daughter and granddaughter whose rights could be restricted.

But beyond those issues, voting for Peterson is both a privilege and a duty as an American.

“I just want to make sure that everybody is out and has a voice. And I think that that’s important for us to realize that that’s a privilege, and for us not to overlook it, because not every country gets to do this,” she said. “And so I think it’s important for us to realize we do have a voice to take it seriously and to take a look at how do we want our country to be … and that voting does make a difference.”

Marcus Smith, who had dropped in at the West Fresno center to cast his ballot before heading to his construction job, said he agrees about the importance of voting. His vote for president was going to Harris.

Smith said the importance of voting is so that each American can have a voice in what happens to the nation.

“It should be important to everyone who calls themselves an American, that is looking for the American dream. So even if you come here to look for and pursue the American dream, no matter what your culture is, no matter what your race is, then you should be concerned about placing a vote,” he said.

‘Your Vote Is Your Voice’

That sentiment was echoed by U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, who was surrounded by reporters outside the downtown Elections Office where he cast his ballot.

“Your vote is your voice and your voice is your power,” he said. “And therefore, it’s imperative that all Americans exercise their right to vote. Americans for almost 250 years have made tremendous sacrifices to protect Americans’ right to vote for democracy to work. Well, it has to be participatory. That means people have to be engaged, informed, and then exercise their right to vote, because it’s their voice and it’s their power.”

He pooh-poohed concerns raised by some about election security, saying that states and the federal government have passed laws to secure votes and ensure that elections are conducted fairly.

There are many adversaries around the world who are trying to throw shade on democracies and make Americans question whether their votes count. They do, Costa said.

And no matter who is elected Tuesday, Americans should remember that the nation has faced challenges in the past and surmounted them, and will do so again, he said.

“That’s what we need to do today to remember that the end of the day, that our belief in one another, our Constitution and the Bill of Rights that protect our freedoms that we cherish are far, far stronger. And we have far, far more in common than whatever disagreements we may have. And certainly we have disagreements. But we must remember that as America, we are great when we are together.”