As local voters cast their ballots in the state primary Tuesday, some said it wasn’t necessarily local issues bringing them to the polls.
At a polling station near Onondaga Hill, Lawrence Chua wouldn’t share who he’s voting for, just that it’s a candidate with the most labor union endorsements. For the New York City transplant, local elections aren’t a popularity contest; they’re about strategy.
“You’re not voting for the person that…shares identical views with you,” said Chua. “You’re thinking about how this is going to fit into the larger strategy of national politics.”
One national issue on local voters’ minds is the U-S Mexico border.
Longtime Onondaga County resident Suzanne Belle worries about individual immigrants and the resources they need.
“I think it's just frightening. I I feel for them coming to this country with all the expectations that they must have. Can we live up to it?” Belle sighed. “I don't know.”
Belle doesn’t think New York is getting “clobbered” with as many immigrants as Texas and Arizona, but she worries border states don’t have the money to feed, house and employ them. Locally, however, Belle says she has no complaints.
Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Results will be posted online by the Onondaga County Board of Elections.
