Voter voices: Here’s what Iowa voters are saying about the Nov. 3 election

Voter voices: Perry voters cite immigration, school vouchers as key issues

Some Perry residents braved the rainy weather Tuesday morning to vote in the midterm state and federal elections before heading to work, including 62-year-old Paula Davidson.

Davidson, a Republican, said she didn’t want to share who specifically she voted for at First Christian Church as soon as the polling place opened “because it gets so ugly, how the Democrats are,” but confirmed she voted along party lines. Her peers also plan to vote, she said.

“We need to get the Republicans voted in here. The Republicans are quieter than the Democrats, so you don’t hear a lot of noise from the Republicans throughout the campaigns, but election day, the end of election day, it always proves it,” Davidson said. “So I’m hoping this is the same thing.”

Immigration was Davidson’s biggest concern heading into the voting booth, she said, as “Democrats don’t seem to care who’s here.” American citizens who commit crimes are monitored through parole and “we know the bad ones from the good ones,” Davidson said, but undocumented immigrants don’t have the same oversight.

“They could be doing anything, nobody knows who they are,” Davidson said. “It’s scary.”

Teresa and Rodney Dowd, who have lived in Perry for nearly 50 years, both identified themselves as independent voters who select whoever they believe is the best candidate, which Teresa said “is a mix” between political party affiliations.

The married couple voted Tuesday morning at the McCreary Center in Perry.

Rodney said he voted for Rob Sand in the gubernatorial race, as he supports the candidate’s stance on school voucher programs.

The pair are confident in the integrity of the voting system for the midterm elections, and that government agencies have “done their due diligence” in ensuring accurate voting counts,  Teresa said. Rodney said voting was how the U.S. — “the greatest country in the world” — was formed, and one where elections are free.

“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,” Teresa Dowd said. “Maybe we like to complain.”