Two worlds – The red-white-red view of the American presidential election

A small polling place in southeast Florida. Here too, between palm trees and powerful SUVs, probably the most important mood of the year has been in full swing for weeks. The ‘crown’ accompanies an American woman to cast her vote. And – very surprisingly – gets access to the polling station. The technology for the actual elections varies from state to state. In this case, a combination of a paper ballot and a touchscreen machine.

There is even a show at the polling station
Because Florida votes on several referendums at the same time for presidents and others, the process takes about ten minutes. Suddenly there is cheering in the polling station: a young first-time voter is greeted with words of appreciation and applause. There is even a show at the polling station.

Anything short of a victory for Donald Trump in the state of Florida – which is also where Trump’s legendary and scandalous private residence Mar-a-Lago is located – would be a sensation and likely pave the way for Kamala Harris to the presidency. But the Democrat has a manageable fan base, especially in rural areas of the Sunshine States.

Voters are under siege
Supporters from both camps stood in front of the entrance to the polling station. The street is lined with flags with portraits of both candidates, waving gently in the wind. Two older women try to engage the electorate in conversation just before their voting round: Susan holds up a Trump sign, talks about illegal immigrants and the political influence of the left on schools.

Cece in turn demonizes the Republican and everything he stands for. In the middle of the palm grove, two worlds come together. And yet: “At least we can still talk to each other,” the women explain. This is often no longer the case with the political elite.

“Krone” survey of Austrians in the US:

Tatjana T. (Miami): “The division is deeper than ever”
“When Kamala Harris announced her candidacy, I thought she had a good chance as a black woman. But it has now become clear that she is being criticized even in the otherwise liberal media. I live in Florida, a Republican state where Trump’s victory seems almost certain. But it is also likely to gain significant momentum in more liberal states. The divide between Republicans and Democrats is deeper than ever. After the past four years of high inflation, increasing migration and growing crime, many people are faced with difficult decisions. All this plays into Trump’s hands.”

Tina K. (Cape Coral): “Followers are becoming increasingly radical”
“I experience the election campaign as unnecessarily aggressive and hear far too much mutual hostility instead of substance. Trump does indeed have good ideas, but the way he presents himself is very clumsy, and for me he cuts into his own flesh. Kamala has better behavior, but I haven’t heard any content from her other than “things won’t be the same again” and “Trump is bad.” I think both groups of supporters have become much more radical than in the past, and the country is more divided than ever. And I fear that the election results will be called into question again – hopefully this time without violence.”

Daniela Juhala (Oregon): “It is important that young people vote”
“The election campaign has been dragging on for months. Posters, television matches, commercials, signboards in the adjacent gardens. I have lived in the US for over 25 years, currently in Oregon, a very liberal state. It currently looks like Donald Trump will win the election with his hateful rants and attempts at intimidation if we don’t see changes in voting behavior in the swing states. This election campaign doesn’t just seem to be about immigration, inflation, abortion, climate change and transgender rights. In my opinion, there are much more fundamental questions at play. Questions about ethics, honesty, justice, kindness and compassion. America’s population is more divided than ever before, and it doesn’t appear that this will end after the election.”

“Unfortunately, the outdated electoral system with the Electoral College is no longer up to date and must be revised as soon as possible. I am an Austrian living abroad and therefore cannot vote because I do not want to give up my Austrian citizenship. This is very difficult for me as an entrepreneur, as this choice and possible rate increases can also have major consequences for my company. But more than that, I think it is important that our young people vote: women, immigrants, marginalized groups: everyone who wants to prevent an impending dictatorship. I enjoy living here and sincerely hope that good things will prevail and that we can soon celebrate the first female president.”