■ Those who voted in a presidential election for the first time relished their chance.
All thought it important to cast a ballot in this presidential election
“I’m voting for all of those in my community and in my family who give so much to this country but cannot vote because they are undocumented. Those of us who can vote should do it.” — Rosa Figueroa
Just 1% of Illinois voters said the 2020 election marked their first time casting a ballot, according to The Associated Press and exitpoll surveys. TheTribune spokewith a dozen first-time voters about why they thought it was important to cast their ballots and how they are feeling. Some voted because they became eligible, including newly naturalized U.S. citizens; others felt more strongly than they had in the past about the issues and the candidates. Here’s what they had to say.
AliTarokh, 35: As a refugee who came to Chicago in 2012 from Iran, Ali Sharifi Tarokh, 35, was excited to be able to cast his ballot for the first time. He became a citizen in 2019 and said America has given him so much: his master’s degree, his career, his marriage, his citizenship.
“When I came to this country, I didn’t have anything but hope. But when I was in Iran, I had everything but hope,” he said. Voting for president, he added, was “amazing.”
“I’vebeenwaiting for this moment since I got my citizenship,” he said. “It’s important because our voice matters.”
The Andersonville resident said he thinks the president is not representing American values, taking action like closing the borders to peoplewhomight be fleeing their homeland, like him. “This city gave me a second chance to build my life again,” Tarokh said. He went to his local polling station to vote. “It was very exciting,” he said. “I was so proud.”
Like many Americans, he said, “I couldn’t sleep last night at all.”
Jaden Merritt, 18: Jaden Merritt, 18, voted for the first time on Election Day out of responsibility to the African Americans who came before him, he said.
“I live in a very educated Black household and I know my roots, so I’ve learned what my ancestors had to go through to allow me to vote — to allowme to have this right — and I felt like it was my duty to them to vote,” he said.
A freshman at Howard University, Merritt, who lives inHyde Park while his college classes are remote, onlywaited about 5 minutes to cast his vote, he said. Afterward, he felt great.
“I felt like I contributed to my country as a citizen,” he said. “I felt like I made my ancestors proud, so it felt good.”
Keegan Brown,
18: Keegan Brown woke up at 6 a.m. Tuesday to vote in his first presidential election. The 18-year-old Forest Park resident took the train home fromDePaul University, where he’s a freshman, and got in line so early that there was no line at his LaGrange polling place.
“It felt really good to just vote for the first time,” he said. “It’s such an influential election; I’m watching the results come in now, and it’s so close. It feels like every vote counts.” Brown said he voted for Joe Biden, although he disagrees with him on many issues: “In most everything, I like him
better than ( Donald) Trump.”
Rosa Figueroa, 57, and Erika Castillo, 27: Rosa Figueroa, 57, andher daughter Erika Castillo, 27, voted for president for the first time Tuesday. The two became naturalized citizens two years ago, and said they have been involved in local and state elections. Castillo, who translated for her mother, said that they support each other and encourage one another to participate in the country’s democracy because they believe in it.
“I’m voting for all of those inmy community and in my family who give so much to this country but cannot vote because they are undocumented,” Figueroa added in Spanish. “Those of us who can vote should do it.”
The Durango, Mexico, natives immigrated to the U.S. about nine years ago and live in Brighton Park. Castillo is the owner of El Tata, a small restaurant at 2942 W. 63rd St. She said she has experienced racism and promised herself she would exercise her right to vote because that’s the only way she can provoke change.
Linda Cooke, 63: After 11 presidential elections since she’s been of voting age, 63-year-old Linda Cooke voted for the first time this year via mail-in ballot. In years past, the Wheeling resident said she felt “so disconnected from the government,” and really didn’t care much about politics at all.
“It just wasn’t important to me,” said Cooke, mentioning she has gotten “so much flak” over the years from friends and family for not exercising her right. But this year was different. She wanted tomake a difference and see a new face in office the next four years, she said.
ColleenNee, 36:
At the age of 36, Colleen Nee voted in her first presidential election lastweek.
“I think what reallymade a difference was the pandemic and the whole racewar thing,” she said. “I raise a Black son, and it’s really scary as a parent to see this going on and affecting the kids.
“I don’t want my son growing up in a world where he’s treated differently because he’s Black,” said Nee, who is white and voted for Biden.
As a single mom with an autoimmune disease, she said she also wants to see more support for people affected by COVID-19. Nee, wholives in Forest Park and worked as a restaurant manager before the pan
demic, said the election has even entered her dreams. After voting early last week in Maywood, she had an anxiety dream in which she made a mistake on her ballot.
Rafael Camarillo, 19: Rafael Camarillo, 19, went to vote with his sister Jessica Camarillo. Both siblings, who live in Little Village, are originally from Guerrero, Mexico. He said that he wasn’t too sure about voting, because he thought it wouldn’t make a difference, but a conversation with his mother changed his mind.
“I realized howmuchher life depends on this,” he said about his mother, who is in the process of becoming a permanent U.S. resident, a process that Jessica Camarillo, 24, said has been long and difficult. “This is the least I can do, come here to make her voice be heard.”
Matthew Pinna, 20:
Matthew Pinna, 20, is a chairperson of the Illinois College Republican Federation. He lives in Woodlawn and voted for president for the first time.
“I felt it was important to vote in this election, because whoeverwinswillbeleading the country out of the coronavirus recession,” he said. “Millions of Americans and small-business owners continue to suffer— they desperately need effective economic solutions froma capable leader.”
Amaka Akuba, 23: Amaka Akuba, 23, voted for the first time at the United Center with her older sister, Ugo Akuba, 25. The sisters live on theNearWest Side.
Amaka Akuba said she was inspired to vote after watching the past four years.
“My first time, I need to make my voice heard and (vote for) someone representative of what my core values align with,” she said. To her, the way the coronavirus has been handled was “enough to come out and vote.”
Davida Marthenze, 25:
Davida Marthenze, 25, did not vote in the last election.
“I feel terrible about how things turned out. I lived in Wisconsin then, where my vote would have counted a lot more, like we’re seeing now with Wisconsin being one of those frustrating states,” said the Belmont Gardens resident. “But I’m still happy to have done my part as an Illinois resident this time around. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic as more mail-in ballots are being counted and things are beginning to shift.”
Shareef Robinson, 19:
Shareef Robinson, 19, never considered voting until lately. He showed up to the United Center on Tuesday morning after a change of heart— and mind.
“I was under the impression voting didn’t matter,” he said. “I initially wasn’t planning on it. But I saw a lot of things, people encouraging voting. My mom was on me a lot about it.
“( I started) learning about things, fixing my ignorance. I did some more research and learned more,” he said. “I think mainly, inmy opinion, both of them aren’t the best candidates,” he said. “But Joe Biden has an edge because he puts more interest in the people, in regular people.”