Conservative Conversation on Biden Victory

On October 24, Hector Vasquez, 29, of Bushwick, cast his vote for Donald Trump.  Two weeks later, CNN announced former Vice President Joe Biden as the projected victor.  

“As a conservative, I was hoping Donald Trump would win, not in a landslide, because we have been polarized in this country, but at least in a more definitive way,” said Vasquez.  

While the current count recognizes Biden as the president-elect, suspicions of voter interference and fraud are further delaying an accurate answer.

“I know that I received ballots for people that didn’t even live in my apartment,” said Vasquez, who voted in-person in fear of this very situation.  “There have been so many questions after the last election regarding interference from foreign countries, and now we have another problem with potential fraudulent ballots.” 

Georgia will now be recounting votes by hand to dispute fraudulent behavior in Biden’s 14,000 vote lead.  Trump is calling for Wisconsin to recount, hoping to win those 10 electoral votes.  Philadelphia is now facing unfounded accusations of voter fraud.

“If Trump takes this to court and it proves fraud, there will only be more riots and more concerns over the next four years,” said Vasquez.  “There will continue to be distrust in our government system after allowing this to happen.”

While it is unsure what the results of a recount might be, there is another solution amidst all this chaos: a concession from Trump.

“If Trump concedes we might be able to move on, but then this begs to differ, can we trust our government to hold a fair election,” said Vasquez.  “This is the basis of our democracy, we vote for someone every four years and if someone can cheat it really makes it seem like our vote doesn’t matter.”

With the past two presidential elections rife with accusations of voter fraud and foreign interference, the accuracy of the American electoral system is being questioned.  Is there any way to ensure a fair election?

Here, Vasquez proposed that the U.S. adopts a voting system similar to that of Australia.

“They have mandatory voter identification,” said Vasquez.  “Easy. If we need an ID for a flight, an ID to buy alcohol, we should need an ID to vote.”

“I think anyone over the age of 18 should automatically be forced to register to vote, and if they opt out, they have to pay a penalty, just as they do in Australia,” said Vasquez.

Who is a Trump Supporter?

Hector Vasquez, 29, of Brooklyn, does not fit the stereotypical image of a Trump voter.  

As a Latino who grew up in the Brownville projects, Vasquez is no stranger to discrimination and hardship.  His childhood saw murders and gang violence, characteristics that Trump attributes to Latinos.  But, now, Vasquez is a successful brand strategist and on Oct. 24, New York’s first day of early voting, he cast his ballot for the Trump, Pence ticket. 

For the very first time, New Yorkers have the opportunity to vote early in a general election.  Hector Vasquez, 29, joined the ranks of 1.1 million early voters, on the first day of early voting.

“The pandemic is not really something that scares me,” said Vasquez. “I mean I take social distancing seriously.  I wear a mask. I stay six feet apart, but I felt that, to make sure that my vote was more secure, I would rather vote in-person rather than send it via post.”

At the Kings County polling station on Gates Avenue, Vasquez waited three hours before casting his ballot for Trump. 

Vasquez did not have much to say on  his reasons for voting for Trump, only that he is distrustful of the former Vice President Joe Biden.  In his opinion, he chose the lesser of two evils.

“At the end of the day, I feel like the country has been polarized, probably for the past 12 years, in two very  different directions,” said Vasquez. “I am hoping we can get back to a place where we can accept whatever the results are.”

These feelings are not shared by the majority.  Across the country, businesses are preparing for unrest.  New York businesses have started boarding up as early as Oct. 31.  Everywhere from the St. Regis Hotel to the Delancey Street Burger King have secured their windows with plywood.  

“The American people will speak,” said Vasquez. “Whoever wins, I think that should be the end of it. No more excuses of any intrusion in the elections, because at the end of it, the American people vote and we are the ones who make these decisions.”