Pennsylvania's divided voters 'could make or break this US election'

By Reena Bharadwaj
Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) [US], November 2 : Pennsylvania is the state to watch out for as it comes to the final stretch of the US Presidential election. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are investing time and resources here ahead of Election Day only because they know that every vote matters in the "swingiest of the swing states."
With 19 electoral votes, the most electoral votes out of any swing state, Pennsylvania has become this election's must-win prize, shining a spotlight on everyday voters like Shelley O'rork who works at a local bakery. As she is getting back home, with a bag full of bread to feed her chickens, she stops by on the sidewalk to express that inflation has crushed families, driving up prices and making it harder than ever to get by. To fix this problem, O'rark says people have to elect Trump who understand the root causes and how to address them in a lasting way.
"As a voter, nothing that Kamala Harris does resonates with me", she said.

"She has been a part of this administration for 3 and a half years and frankly i have seen nothing but a decline in the country, decline in our security, my income doesn't go to near as far as it used to and I don't like the way we look in the world stage", O' rark said.
"Donald Trump was a good President when he was in. I had a lot more expendable income, and I thought a lot safer as far as his role on what he did at the border. I think he kept us as safe as possible. I would like to see him back in the office now, would like to see a little bit more cooperation too in the house of the senate for securing our borders and getting us out of the money going to other countries", she added.
O' rark said that the country is in great need and there have been disasters such as the "fires in Hawaii" and "those people are still suffering" but it's not in the news and all what has happened in Carolina and Tennessee . She said when asked FEMA about the lack of resources, people worry where the money is going to because they shouldn't have too. She said the money is going to the illegal immigrants.
She highlighted the plight of her family members who came through legal channels into the USA from Brazil and are facing challenges in securing the citizenship of USA and can't even get help in making the ends meet.
Speaking of the concerns as a woman voter, she said that the decision on abortion should be made by the States and not a federal one. As a woman she wants to be able to buy groceries to take care of family, pay mortgage, security of woman and family. She highlighted that " woman are being attacked in the streets by people who don't belong in this country to begin with. They came here illegally, they need to leave."
Nearby is Gettysburg College where Sera Scherz goes to school. She's excited about casting her ballot and sees the limelight on her state and feels the weight of being one of its highly coveted voters. Scherz represents the gender gap in Pennsylvania with women like her drawning more toward VP Harris.

Sera Scherz, who is a college student and first time voter, said, "For me as a woman, the most important thing is women's rights and abortion. I think that Harris is the one who's going to protext these rights, protect women's autonomy to make decisions for themselves".
She said that in terms of the economy people will say Trump is better but when it comes to individual rights and human rights, "we need Harris".
Commenting on the political scenario, she said, "The mood is very split" in the state.
In Pennsylvania, Donald Trump has the support of a critical and reliably Republican constituency, seniors. Teabahazy, close to his 80's knows what it feels like to be one of the country's most coveted voter.
"He is the man that's gonna free this whole country up", Teabahazy said. He was confident that the people of Pennyslvania are going to vote for Trump.

The senior vote is particularly important in five of the seven battleground states namely Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, that, according to the US Census data, have more residents over the age of 65 than the national average.
Pennsylvania's Trump campaign spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement, "Americans of all ages and backgrounds are unifying behind President Trump's agenda to Make America Safe, Strong, Wealthy, and Great Again, and this reality is playing out in record Republican voter registrations and turnout across battleground states, including Pennsylvania."
Almost four years after the January 6 violence where a mob of Trump supporters violently breached the Capitol and with another election underway, the heated climate still persist. Former President Trump has been the target of two assassination attempts, including one at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left one man dead. Meanwhile, Trump's warnings of the potential for election fraud and language about immigration have fueled threats against election workers and some immigrant communities. Some of swing-state voters like Ann Wie are concerned that supporters of former president Donald Trump will respond with violence if he doesn't win the presidential election and do not believe he will accept defeat.
Pennsylvania has a history of close races. Former President Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania in 2016. Four years later, President Joe Biden narrowly won. The state is often seen as a predictor of who will win the country - the candidate who has won the state in 10 of the last 12 presidential elections landed in the White House.
At downtown Gettysburg, Nicole and David Blank are visiting family. The Trump loyalists shared their frustrations with the state of affairs in the country and say they are, "firm believers in America" and are backing Trump. "Track record," he said, "We had four years of Donald Trump, you look at the economics, we were stronger in the world. Then you look at four years of Biden-Harris -- high inflation, no job creation, the economy isn't as good as it was. And we're weaker in the world."
With some nine million registered voters in Pennsylvania, turnout is essential for success for either campaign come November 5. Registration numbers show that political affiliation is split nearly 50-50, with around 3.9 million registered Democrats and 3.6 million registered Republicans. There are also around 1.4 million Independent or third-party registered voters, who both campaigns have courted.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats are mostly clustered along the eastern and western borders in urban areas like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The middle of the state, which is rural, leans heavily towards the Republicans. Two counties specifically - Erie in western Pennsylvania and Northampton in eastern Pennsylvania - are seen as bellwether counties, meaning they often trend with how the overall country votes. Both counties favoured Trump in 2016, but went for Biden in 2020.
Pennsylvanians reflect a divided electorate. Some are voting for Harris, inspired by her vision that they say represents stability for them and because they want to see a woman as president. Others are voting for Trump because they believe in his economic policies and promises. And a many weren't so sure about either candidate and are simply 'angry' with the political landscape.