Some South Bend primary voters are motivated, but for most, it's a sense of duty

SOUTH BEND ― For some people, voting is like brushing your teeth ― it's just a necessary part of the routine.

At least that was the case for early-morning voters at the Charles Black Community Center at 3419 W. Washington St. on Tuesday.

“If you want to see a change in the government, you need to vote,” said Alice Pickens, who was voting early before heading to the County-City Building in downtown South Bend where she is a security officer.

“I’d like to see more young people voting, rather than just complaining,” she said.

Helen Gates, another South Bend voter, said she’s only missed voting once in her life because she was injured and couldn’t make it to the polls. “Voting gives you a voice,” she said.

According to poll workers, early morning voting, which got underway at 6 a.m., was relatively light at both the Charles Black center and the downtown branch of the St. Joseph County Public Library, perhaps because of the lack of municipal contests and the foregone conclusion that President Joe Biden will be facing off against former President Donald Trump in the general election.

But despite the lack of city contests, Pamela Haskel was still motivated to vote at the community center because she believes the country is moving in the wrong direction, especially when it comes to women’s rights as well as equity and inclusion.

Haskel said she’s dismayed that Democrats and Republicans aren’t working together more for the best interests of all Americans at all levels of government. “Every decision shouldn’t be made based on who has the most power,” she said, adding that compromise seems to be a lost art.

But regardless, she said, the start of change is getting people to participate by paying attention to the candidates and issues and then voting. “People should vote or stop complaining,” she added.

Clare Maher, who was voting at the downtown library, said she doesn’t need to have a special motivation to participate in elections, but she wondered whether more people would vote if they made it even easier to cast a ballot.

At 30, she was in the age range that seemed to be the most underrepresented in early morning primary voting. “If you want to see things change, you have to vote,” she said.

Gail Woods, of Roseland, said she always votes because she believes it's a requirement to get the change that's needed.

"Protecting the rights of women is what's motivating me right now," said Woods, who also is involved in an effort to reinvigorate a citizens association in Roseland to advocate for positive change for the town just north of South Bend.

While most primary voters were casting ballots for duty, Jonathan Buehler, 29, of South Bend was motivated to vote in the primary because Eric Doden, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has stated that he would be in favor of making adoption of foster children free.

That’s an important issue for Buehler and his wife as they currently have their sixth foster child, a 6-year-old boy.

“This might have been the first time I voted in a Republican primary, but Doden stands for an issue that’s very important to us,” he said. “Just eliminating the lawyer fees could get more of these children into permanent homes.”

Similarly, Rebekah Go of South Bend said she was especially motivated to vote in the primary because she wanted to vote against candidates she didn’t want to see win the election. She opted to pick up the Democratic ballot, she said, because she thought her vote would matter more in the contest for Indiana senate rather than governor.

And has become her habit, Go brought along one of her children to witness mom participating in the process. “I like them to see how it works,” she said.

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Most South Bend voters motivated by duty; some motivated by cause