'Oregon votes Democratic, but the contrast here is huge, greater than in other states. City and countryside are two completely different worlds. I see a lot of Harris and Walz signs around me, while in the inland there are trucks with flags of Trump and his running mate (J.D. Vance, ed.).
I work at Intel headquarters and the company has had a difficult year, including mass layoffs. There is some waiting for the outcome of the election so that Intel and employees know where they stand soon. The outcome could impact my future here. For example, the stricter immigration rules Trump wants to implement and the Chips Act will make my job security a lot less. For US voters, inflation is a big issue. The price of groceries has skyrocketed in recent years, fuelling polarisation.
Harris and Trump are close in the polls. I cannot make a prediction, but I hope Harris wins. In recent days, the tension is mounting, the polarisation is getting worse, but since I have no influence on it, I try not to pay too much attention to it. Polls and keep an eye on the news, but I'm not going to be in front of the television continuously these days.'
'There is a lot at stake during the elections, but I don't notice that in my environment. Sometimes activists talk to me on the street telling me not to forget to vote – which I can't – and on social media I run into Kamala and Donald all day long. But in my area – the Bay Area – I don't feel like people are constantly involved in politics. The area is quite progressive, California votes Democratic, although you wouldn't expect that an hour's drive inland. I also know a lot of Republicans, but they are moderate and still have doubts about what they are doing today.'
'I did follow the elections a while back, but I distanced myself a bit. I understand that there is worldwide attention for it and I know the interests, but I feel like I can't do much with it. I've been living here for nine years now and 2015 was also an election year (Trump vs. Clinton, ed.) and even attended a watch party, very popular here. I'm not going to do that this year. I think I'll just play a game at home in the evening.
I am happy to live in Sunnyvale and feel at home there. Colleagues sometimes complain about the polarisation in the country, but most of the people around me are not as extreme left-wing or right-wing as is sometimes portrayed.'
'I'm half Dutch, half American and I've lived in Virginia, Washington State, New York and mostly Maine. The elections are very exciting, one day one leads, the next day the other. The outcome of the election is very important. There is a lot going on in the world, tensions are high so there is a lot of pressure on the elections. It can make a big difference which candidate wins. I already voted last week.'
The world's problems are too big to solve easily, and that goes for any candidate. Maine is largely democratic, and that certainly applies to the area on the coast. I'm worried about the outcome of the election, whoever wins. The tension is at an all-time high and we all saw what happened on January 6, 2021 (Storming of the U.S. Capitol, ed.). There is even more pressure now than it was then. My parents, brother, and my father's family live in the United States, spread across the country, but we don't talk about the elections on a daily basis. I'm definitely going to follow it, but don't stay awake to it. Also because it is still unclear when the winner will be known.'
