United Mates: How voters in Australia’s US sister cities are feeling ahead of the election

Americans in the twins of Australia’s state capitals have revealed why voters are in the grip of a mass panic as they wait to find out who will win between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

If there is one thing Americans agree on right now, ahead of perhaps the most consequential election of their lives, it is that they are worried about what happens when voting closes.

A victory for Kamala Harris would ruin the US, according to Donald Trump’s supporters, while those backing the Vice President fear the return of the former president would be similarly damaging. Many do not trust the election will be decided fairly and peacefully.

Three months ago, after Ms Harris’s sudden ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket, we hit the road for our United Mates series to speak to ordinary voters in the American twins of Australia’s state capitals. This is how some of them are feeling about the election now.

Daniel Diederich – Hobart, Wisconsin

The fourth generation dairy farmer was one of the few undecided voters we met after Ms Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee. He has now decided to support the Vice President in the critical swing state – although he is doing so “tentatively”.

Daniel Diederich, of Hobart, Wisconsin, does not want to see Donald Trump as president. Picture: Daniel Kramer

“She’s got a lot of things I don’t really agree with, but she’s not Trump and I really don’t want to see him as president,” Mr Diederich says, blaming his “fearmongering and selfishness”.

He thinks there is “a zero per cent chance Trump concedes, even if it’s a blowout”, and he worries about the damage he has done by undermining confidence in the election.

Lorie Bartley – Adelaide, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is the most important state up for grabs, and while rural Adelaide is considered Trump country, that did not stop Ms Harris’s running mate Tim Walz visiting a nearby farm.

“He was looking for undecided voters, some Trump supporters to change their minds,” says Ms Bartley, a volunteer for Mr Trump who proudly shook his hand at a recent rally.

Lorie Bartley says “we’re not going to have a country” if Donald Trump loses the US election. Picture: Josh Birt

She is concerned illegal immigrants “are going to try to vote for Harris” – an unsubstantiated claim made by Republicans – and is “keeping a watch on that”.

If Mr Trump loses, she says: “We’re not going to have a country – we are done.”

Kathy Wall – Brisbane, California

Three months ago, Ms Wall feared Mr Trump would stoke a civil war. With the election going down to the wire, she is even more worried that the US is not prepared for the likelihood that he will contest the result, even without evidence of fraud.

Kathy Wall with her dog Scruffy in Brisbane, California, earlier this year feared Mr Trump would stoke a civil war.

The realtor and writer remains confident Ms Harris will win narrowly, saying she has done her best to “separate herself as much as she can from the current president”.

“It’s just shocking to me that anybody could listen to him and any of the crazy, crazy comments he has made and still vote for him,” Ms Wall says, “but they are.”

Jim Alter – Sidney, Ohio

“I don’t know how any thinking person can vote for Kamala Harris,” the Grace Baptist Church pastor says. He believes there is “no possible way she could win”.

“Whether or not that shows up in the vote depends on the shenanigans that are going to happen,” Mr Alter declares, alleging there is “already a lot of cheating”.

** FOR NETWORK USE - UNITED MATES SERIES ** Jim Alter has his hair cut at Downtown Barbershop in Sidney, Ohio on Thursday August 15, 2024. SIDNEY, OH-- On Thursday, August 15, 2024. Picture: Eli Hiller | The Daily Telegraph

He is angry Republican officials did not more forcefully challenge Mr Trump’s 2020 defeat, saying they should be in prison because “they allowed an election to be stolen”. This time around, Mr Alter says: “I don’t think anyone wants any violence. But I wouldn’t count it out.”

Tina Demnicki – Perth, Delaware

On the edge of Mr Biden’s hometown, Ms Demnicki is “hanging tough and praying” Ms Harris will replace him, while following the “absolutely terrifying” news updates.

She likes the Vice President but the lifelong Democrat believes her party should have more aggressively targeted Mr Trump rather than “playing so nicely”.

Tina Demnicki, of Perth, Delaware, is “praying” Kamala Harris will win the US election. Picture: Nick Thomas

After 2020, Ms Demnicki lost friends who refused to accept the result. She says they are “living in denial”, and the prospect of another contested election “scares the crap out of me”.

“Last time nearly killed me – I don’t know if I can go through that again,” she says.

Loring Crepeau – Melbourne, Florida

In Mr Trump’s home state, he has the support of Mr Crepeau, but the retiree is sick of his “unnecessary, distracting and frankly kind of annoying” gratuitous attacks and bizarre claims.

Loring and Laurie Crepeau, of Melbourne, Florida, are supporters of Donald Trump despite thinking he’s an “obnoxious man”. Picture: Saul Martinez

“I know he’s an obnoxious man,” he says. “But I’m not voting in a personality contest – I’m here to see the conservative policies I believe in become the policies of our government.”

Mr Crepeau has not warmed to Ms Harris, calling her an “abysmal speaker”.

The retired statistician is also frustrated that unlike Florida, several battleground states are not expected to report their full results on the night of the election, leaving the US in limbo.

Originally published as United Mates: How voters in Australia’s US sister cities are feeling ahead of the election