The Crimson White went out to polling locations to hear from Tuscaloosa residents about who they would rather see in the presidential office. These unofficial results are based solely on interviews from the Tuscaloosa Courthouse Annex voting location.
Out of the 39 voters interviewed at the Tuscaloosa City Council Annex, 25 voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and 14 voted for the former President Donald Trump.
Among exit polls in the state of Alabama, abortion and immigration ranked as top issues for voters.
Sam McKinney, a junior majoring in economics and political science, said he voted for Harris because he wanted to see the country get back to the rule of law.
“Really for me, it was seeing how Trump’s presidency in the past has been, and if it continues down that path, I don’t have faith in the country,” McKinney said. “Voting for Kamala seems to be the right path to some normalness.”
Dezirae Cunningham, a junior majoring in public health, said she voted for Harris because she needed someone who is willing to work for the people of America.
“She has a way of gathering us all together,” Cunningham said.
A large part of Harris’s message to voters focused on ideas of unity and “turning the page” on the “division” and “chaos” the vice president claimed Trump had created over his near-decade in politics.
In national exit polling Tuesday, about half of voters said the future of democracy was the single most important factor influencing their vote, while 4 in 10 voters said the economy and jobs were the most important issue in the nation.
Among the 14 voters voting for Trump was Caroline Hernandez, a junior majoring in finance and economics.
“I’m a Christian, and I think voting for Kamala is voting against Christianity,” Hernandez said. “I also agree with Trump more.”
According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of white evangelical protestants have a “favorable view” of Trump. Last week at a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden, David Rem, Trump’s childhood friend, referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.”
Kasen Davis, a freshman majoring in political science, said he voted for Trump because he believes it’s time for a change.
“These last four years have just been a disaster, because inflation is high, gas prices are high. It’s time for a change, and that wasn’t happening when Trump was in the office,” Davis said.
Sujith Mareddy, J. Calister Clemons, Benjamin Smith and Jeb Rine contributed to the reporting of this article.
