Baala Shakya, Contributing Photographer

New Havener Sunye Grulich stood in the same-day voter registration line at City Hall for over two and a half hours Tuesday afternoon.

Grulich, a retiree and landlord, planned to cast her vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Although Democratic presidential candidates have easily clinched Connecticut in each election since 1992, Grulich still decided to stick it out through the long wait. 

“I personally don’t want to see Donald Trump in office, so I feel it’s my obligation to make sure this one vote counts,” she said.

Grulich was one of dozens of in-person voters that the News spoke with on Tuesday about which issues and concerns brought them to the polls.

Thirty voters identified reproductive rights as a central issue when determining which presidential candidate they would support. Just two of those voters cast their ballots for former President Donald Trump.

The Democratic voters cited a desire to protect abortion access and women’s bodily autonomy. They expressed worries about increased abortion restrictions during a potential second Trump administration. 

Trump’s campaign platform outlines his opposition to late-term abortions. During his Sept. 10 debate with Harris, Trump said he would not sign a national abortion ban if reelected, but he has frequently flip-flopped his stance on abortion throughout his campaign.

“I just feel like Trump is going to set us back so many years, and I just don’t want to see that happening for our country,” Yale administrative assistant Julise Penn said. 

Ivelisse, who asked to be identified by just her first name out of fear of retaliation for her political beliefs, emphasized the connection between her Christian faith and her anti-abortion stance, adding in Spanish that “it is a disgrace to kill a baby.” Originally from Puerto Rico, she has lived in Fair Haven for the past three decades and cast her ballot for Trump at the Ward 16 polling place.

Ward 7 Ballot Clerk Mariana Trevino, who also voted for Trump, described herself as “pro-life, pro-family.” Trevino called Harris’ emphasis on abortion access “manipulative” toward young voters.

Another key issue mentioned was immigration, which 13 voters identified as a major factor in their electoral choice. Both Harris and Trump’s platforms emphasize border security, but Trump takes it a step further by promising mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and the reinstatement of his 2017 travel ban from majority-Muslim countries. 

Two Trump voters pointed to the former president’s planned restrictive immigration policies as a major impetus behind their voting decision.

Multiple Harris voters highlighted Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, which has intensified in recent months. Emilio Rivas, a Republican and first-generation Cuban American, attributed his vote for Harris to Trump’s “demeaning” descriptions of Latinos. 

“Everyone should have a fair chance to start at the beginning and live the American dream,” Fair Haven resident Gibely Navarro said, noting that she is the daughter of a Puerto Rican and a Venezuelan immigrant. “We’ve seen where [our parents] came from and how they’re living now, and it’s beautiful.”

Several Latino Harris voters, including Navarro and her cousin, Daniel Gutierrez and Israel Ortiz, added that they were motivated to vote on behalf of their undocumented relatives.

The News spoke to three voters who identified Trump’s economic policy as a key motivator for their vote.

Trump, whose proposed economic policy would cut taxes for many across the economic spectrum, has frequently attacked President Joe Biden’s administration for the increased cost of living. Harris, who has often become implicated with high inflation under the Biden administration, has pledged to maintain many of Trump’s tax cuts for middle-class Americans and has proposed increased taxation for high-income Americans. 

Johnny Garayua, a Latino Trump voter who voted alongside his son, also Johnny Garayua, discussed his increased expenses under the Biden administration. 

“My gas prices went crazy, my taxes got raised like three times, it was hard on my pocket,” the elder Garayua said. “Whoever makes the biggest difference in my pocket, I will vote for.”

Similarly, Morris Cove resident Aidan Virtue emphasized “high taxes” as a key issue deciding his vote. Virtue, who voted against Trump in 2016, changed his mind due to a perceived economic improvement.

Shilpankumar Patel, a New Haven business owner, also cited the stark differences between Trump and Biden’s economies as a concern. He expressed worries that, under a Harris administration, his business would have to close down due to rising costs. He explained how he now spends $2,800 in rent compared to $1,200 during the Trump administration.

A handful of voters who cast their ballots for Trump highlighted public safety and foreign policy, particularly Trump’s support for Israel.

Ward 22 moderator Maurice Douglas told the News that community members are especially worried about the Connecticut Kia Boyz, a juvenile car thief group that steals Kias and Hyundais and contributed to a 33 percent statewide increase in auto thefts in 2023. 

Ivelisse connected her pro-Israel stance to her faith, asserting in Spanish that “the Bible says whoever curses Israel gets cursed, and whoever helps Israel gets blessed.” 

A few Harris voters emphasized concerns about preserving democracy and LGBTQ+ rights. 

“I like democracy,” East Haven resident Mike Sparago said. “It’s pretty cool, so I’m hoping we hold onto it a little while longer.” 

The Associated Press called Harris’ victory in Connecticut at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Hari Viswanathan contributed reporting.

Correction, Nov. 6: The article has been updated to reflect Navarro’s ancestry correctly.