Voters voice frustration at polling station during 2022 midterm elections

As voters in the solidly Democratic Upper East Side head to the polling station at Eleanor Roosevelt School on the last day of the fiercely contested mid-terms, even here, the frustration of voters with their candidate options is clear to see.

In the governor’s race, there has been a solid challenge to Democrat Kathy Hochul, the first female governor of New York, from Republican Lee Zeldin.

Clayton Cook, 50, a registered Democrat who, on this occasion, voted Republican, declared “bail reform issues were a big point” in deciding to move away from Hochul, who, in Mr. Cook’s opinion, is “too far on the left side.”

Others, including Shane Garling, 50, saw climate change as one of the election’s most pressing issues, highlighting “a need to look out for the future.”

When asked how that would affect his vote, Mr. Garling added, “the Democrats are more focused on the environment.”

For others, no one single issue determined how they would vote.

Rebecca Stovall, 36, who works in marketing, believes the pressing issues include “abortion rights, gun control, and pretty much everything else!”

“I don’t trust anything the Republicans do at this point; they are big hypocrites and don’t seem to pass laws that help people,” Ms. Stovall continued.

“I hope Hochul wins. I’m nervous actually for the first time in New York,” Ms. Stovall added with a weak laugh.

Eighty- three year-old Betsy Ross, who jokes she’s often confused with the famous flag stitcher and namesake, sees the economy as always being “a big factor in elections, but right now it’s desperate.”

Ms. Ross confessed she wasn’t swayed this time to move away from voting Democrat, but did admit there might be a day she votes republican, but only “if they were campaigning along the right lines.”

Her opinion on the governor’s race is no different, believing Hochul “is the one that should continue because the other candidate (Zeldin) is deficient,” leaving her with “no temptation to vote for him.” “I’m hoping people see that democracy is in the balance,” Ms. Ross concluded, echoing President Biden’s words from 5 days ago.