As the dust settles on the primary election, Signal Cleveland took to the streets to talk to Clevelanders about their views on what voting means to them and the low voter turnout in Cuyahoga County. 

Andre White, 58, Lee-Harvard

Najee: Can you tell me your name and which neighborhood you live in?

Andre: My name is Andre White. I live in Cleveland, Lee-Harvard

Najee: Are you a first-time voter or do you vote regularly?

Andre: I am a regular voter. I vote in the primary and in the general election. 

Najee: What motivates you to show up to vote time and time again?

Andre: I vote because I go back to my ancestors who could never vote. I look at the Civil Rights movement, people fought and died for me to be able to vote, so I try to respect that. 

Najee: In this primary, was there any particular issue or candidate that urged you to show up? 

Andre: It was a combination of those things. There are certain people that made me want to show up for them, but I vote in every election, so I would be here anyways. 

Najee: The voter turnout in Cuyahoga County has been pretty low for a while now. Why do you think the numbers are so low, especially in primary elections?

Andre: It has to do with poor communication from both parties. They have to make sure they are getting their people out to vote and explain to them how important the primaries are. The second thing is empathy. People just don’t care because they think their vote doesn’t count. 

They see that these politicians are just politicians and they don’t care about their interests. People always say, ‘Why should I vote when you are not doing anything for me?’

Najee: What do you say to people who believe their vote doesn’t matter?

Andre: You still gotta vote. The people in office who are not doing their job need to be voted out. As long as you stay home, they same people will stay in office.

Janis Bridges and Aylwin Bridges (68), Lee-Harvard

Najee: Can you tell me your name and which neighborhood you live in?

Janis: My name is Janis Bridges

Aylwin: My name is Aylwin Bridges, and we live in Ward 1, which is the Southeast Side of Cleveland. 

Najee: Are you all first-time voters or do you vote regularly?

Janis: We are regular voters. 

Najee: What motivates you two to show up to vote time and time again?

Janis: I make sure I vote in every election. I believe it’s my duty to do that. Too many people sacrificed their lives to give me the right to vote. I was raised that way, and that’s what I was taught. 

Aylwin: I participate for multiple reasons. My vote represents my voice. I’m also driven by the sacrifices African-Americans had to go through just to gain the right to vote. 

Najee: The voter turnout in Cuyahoga County has been pretty low for a while now. Why do you think the numbers are so low, especially in primary elections?

Janis: I believe they feel that it doesn’t matter if they vote or not because it doesn’t make a difference in seeing change in their neighborhoods. I think the candidates are a part of it too. People feel as though they don’t see anyone qualified to hold certain positions.

Aylwin: I think the primary reason is because people have been disappointed by the decisions they have made in the past. The people who hold elected office have misled them and failed to perform for them. So now the typical voter has become apathetic. 

Najee: What do you say to those voters who believe their vote doesn’t matter?

Aylwin: Don’t give up your voice. Voting is how you can stand up, speak out and be heard. 

Jeff R., 45, Shaker Square 

Najee: So you are currently a non-voter, is that correct?

Jeff: Yes.

Najee: Have you ever voted before?

Jeff: I have. The last time I voted was in the 2020 presidential election.

Najee: What caused you to stop voting? 

Jeff: Honestly, I just don’t see this country doing anything major to help Black people. How can I care about a country that doesn’t care about me as a Black man? Black people in Cleveland are struggling, and nothing is being done about it. The schools are not good, families are broken. I just don’t see any real progress, so I don’t care anymore.

Najee: What would it take to get you to vote again?

Jeff: Nothing. I’m done wasting my time for votes that don’t matter. I’m ready for a revolution. 

Daniel Nizer Jr., 34, Detroit-Shoreway

Najee: Can you tell me your name and which neighborhood you live in?

Daniel: My name is Daniel, and I live in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

Najee: Are you a first-time voter or do you vote regularly?

Daniel: I always try to vote in every election. I’ve had some transportation issues before, so there have been times where I haven’t been able to make it to my polling location on time, but that doesn’t happen too often. 

Najee: What motivates you to come to the polls time and time again?

Daniel: Honestly, when I was younger my mother stressed the importance of voting at a very young age. She let us know that Black people didn’t always have the right to vote, so it was instilled in me early on. 

Najee: The voter turnout was 19.8% in Cuyahoga County. Why do you think that number is so low?

Daniel: I think a lot of people didn’t know about it. A lot of people aren’t really paying attention to what’s going on in the city or the world. Honestly, I think America has evolved into a very selfish country. People don’t really care about what’s going on unless it directly affects them. When we put an issue like weed on the ballot, people showed up. When we see things on the ballot like school levies, you don’t see that same turnout.

Najee: What do you say to people who feel as though their vote doesn’t matter and choose not to vote?

Daniel: Every vote matters. It matters to have your voice heard. Your one vote could be the difference between an issue you care about getting passed or not. If there is an issue at hand  that I know I have the power to change, I’m gonna put it to use.