Opinion/Worcesteria: An election over, some questions just beginning

Worcester rode a rollercoaster — or maybe, the Scrambler — of hope, doubt, and conflict over the course of two days as voters went to the polls to cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 election.
With former president Donald Trump’s victory, defeating Vice President and Democratic rival Kamala Harris, those feelings continued to ripple across the city and the nation. With the results came a fundamental question: where do we go from here?
On Nov. 6, as Worcester woke to the news that Trump had won a second, nonconsecutive term as president, a blanket of silence seemed to fall over the city.
A pickup truck cruised down Shrewsbury Street with a large “Trump/Vance 2024” flag flapping in the unseasonably warm breeze.
Both before and after the elections, many people simply didn’t want to share their views publicly, but some felt a need for a place to gather and express their minds.
The YWCA of Central Massachusetts opened its doors during the middle of the day Nov. 6 for a forum billed as a “post-election gathering,” in which participants could talk out whatever reactions they had.
Here and there were poetic moments. Across Franklin Street, on Worcester Common, a man sang Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero” to himself as he walked.
Some Worcester residents saw in Trump’s reelection a disappointment, and a call to action.
The grassroots organization, Worcester Community Fridges network, found its social media pages flooded with new faces offering help, expressing disillusionment in the electoral system, and interested in other avenues for change.
“When we’ve heard from folks reaching out to us, there’s a desire to be part of a different type of system and to feel like they are contributing to a system that is moving towards liberation, the kind of community they want to be a part of,” organizer Julia Rose Karpicz said.
In the weeks leading up to the election, yard signs and flags dotted the city’s streets. Most supported Harris or former president and eventual winner Trump. Others took a stance on Massachusetts ballot questions, showing support for a higher minimum wage for tipped workers or opposition to standardized testing graduation requirements.
Election Day, Nov. 5, dawned bright, sunny, and warm, and behind St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Russell St., Ward 10 voters filed into the function room of a clubhouse to cast their ballots.
By 5 p.m., every voting station in the room was occupied and a line stretched into the front hallway.
On her way out, Sarah Bowditch, a self-described progressive voter, said she worried the existence of American democracy itself hinged on the day’s outcome.
“Democracy, for one. Abortion rights, for another. Voting rights, for another. Pretty much the civility of our government. I’m worried about where we’re at,” Bowditch said. “I’m encouraged that people are taking this election so seriously and that there’s been such a massive turnout.”
Bowditch said she was surprised by the high turnout rate, the likes of which she had never seen before.
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“I vote in all elections, not just the big elections, and I’ve never had to wait in line before. I’ve never had people be so helpful or supportive. They always do their job, but this time, I felt like there was some more support on which table to go to and how to get through the voting process,” Bowditch said.
Bowditch said she paid close attention to the state-level elections, voting for incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and incumbent U.S. Representative Jim McGovern and supporting state legislators she had previously voted for in 2022.
In addition, she said, she had researched the five ballot questions in advance and already knew what her choices would be when she brought her ballot to the voting booth.
There were scenes that characterized the high emotion around the election, the issues and the candidates. Nearby, next to Elm Park, a car with a “Trump/Vance 2024” flag sticking out of the sunroof spent all afternoon sitting at the curb, at one point drawing the attention of a handful of angry passersby.
A few minutes later, Rochelle Santiago walked out of the polling site, saying she was cautiously optimistic about the election.
“I think there is a lot at stake, but I think there is a lot of hope, especially on this voting day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a good turnout,” Santiago said.
Santiago said she votes in every election, including city elections and midterms, and one of her goals this year was to bring more eligible voters to the polls.
“I got my whole family to vote. My parents texted me photos. My sister’s voting for the first time,” Santiago said.
On her way out of the polls Nov. 5, Santiago had said, “I am hopeful that everyone is trying to use their vote for the best. That’s all we have.”
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