In Scranton on election day, political sentiment was strong — but not 'a barrier'

SCRANTON — Alex Chiappini knows precisely the moment he decided to vote for Joe Biden. His decision occurred to him suddenly, 15 minutes and 39 seconds into President Donald Trump's televised speech at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Monday, just hours before Pennsylvania polling places were scheduled to open. 

Six months ago, Chiappini planned to vote for Trump. Then the president failed to follow the advice of experts and contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Chiappini said. The president Tweeted his support for Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot an unarmed protester in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and seemed to encourage white vigilantes during the first presidential debate. 

And still Chiappini was undecided. Then came Trump's speech on Monday night, given just a few miles from Chiappini's house on the south side of Scranton. Chiappini was watching it on Fox News when he had a realization. 

"It was incomprehensible gibberish," said Chiappini, 26, who said he voted for Trump four years ago. "I decided I've had enough of this. He doesn't speak like a president should."

Chiappini decided to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden, a native son of this city.

In this heated election season, it's rare to find a voter who remained undecided as recently as Monday.  But all around Scranton on Election Day, there was evidence of just what it means to be a swing city in perhaps the nation's most important swing state. 

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In most places across the country, Trump or Biden yard signs predominate. Republicans live in some cities and suburbs, Democrats in others, and rarely do they overlap in any great number. 

Earlier:'A good day for Scranton': Owners of Biden's childhood home, voters reflect on election

But in Scranton left and right, Republicans and Democrats comingle. Many people here are committed partisans for one side or another. But perhaps more than in other places, it's easy to find people who appreciate the merits of both Trump and Biden — or at least those who find both candidates equally flawed. 

"I think it's really unfortunate that we have to choose between these two," said Kristen Bradley, 37, who ultimately voted for Trump because she is pro-life and supports public funding for private schools. "I like the judges Trump has nominated. But I think he's immoral. I don't think he has the character to be president."

Bradley voted at St. Peters Lutheran Church, which sits atop a steep hill overlooking the Susquehanna Valley. Across the street, Trump and Biden yard signs alternated every other yard. 

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Bradley's family lives in Portland, Oregon, where anyone with a Trump sign in their yard had better be prepared for arguments, she said. 

"That's what I like about Scranton. We don't let politics be a barrier," said Bradley's husband, Taylor. "I voted for Trump, even though he's immoral. That surprises a lot of people." 

The other consequence of living in such a politically important city is the regular presence of both candidates around town. Hours after Trump's Monday night speech, Biden rode in a convoy of buses and police cars past the home on Scranton's north side where he lived until age 10. 

Mary Ellen Tomaine heard the motorcade coming. She is a pre-kindergarden teacher at St. Clair/St. Paul School, a Catholic grade school that Biden attended. As Biden's bus drove by, 45 of her students ran outside.

They stood on the sidewalk and began to chant. "Joe! Bi! Den! Joe! Bi! Den!"

"They have no idea what's going on. They think it's a parade," Tomaine said. "But I think it's great that he comes back to town."

Not everything went smoothly in Scranton on Tuesday. At Kennedy Elementary School, two vote scanning machines were incorrectly programmed for the opposite wards, said Kathy Bufford, judge of elections for the polling site. It took an hour and a half to reprogram them, and then one of the machines jammed with a paper ballot inside, she said. 

The problems weren't fixed until 9:30 a.m., two and a half hours after polling places were scheduled to open.

Some voters couldn't wait. Bufford said she doesn't know how many left without voting.  Dozens more waited in a line that stretched around the school gym, Bufford said, ballots in hand. They were offered the chance to drop their ballots in an emergency slot, to be counted after polls close, Bufford said. 

Most refused. Instead they waited for hours to watch their ballots get scanned electronically. Some accused Bufford of tampering with the vote. 

"It was insulting," Bufford said. "This is my job. I took an oath." 

Around town, some arguments were similarly testy. Downtown at 2 p.m., a small convoy of pickup trucks and a HUMVEE military vehicle drove down Mulberry Street with Trump flags waving from their beds. Behind the steering wheels sat unsmiling men, all in sunglasses. 

Ahead of them drove two cars filled with young women who waved "Biden 2020" signs out the windows and cheered. 

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Elsewhere the disagreements were barely stated. Seth Leety came to Robert Morris Elementary School dressed in slacks and a plaid shirt before leaving for his job in an office. 

"I think everybody's ready for the Trump presidency to be over," said Leety, 44. 

One who's not so ready is Vince Verrone, who took a place in line behind Leety. Verrone wore ripped jeans and a black t-shirt that read "I'm a Deplorable Trump 2020." Verrone's arms carry black tattoos and a lingering summer tan from his work outside as a roofer. 

"This is the most work I've ever had," said Verrone, 53. "When a Republican's in office, I make more money."

For a while, the line didn't move. More people arrived, and it was hard to tell who was there as a volunteer and who planned to vote. Verrone the Republican stepped around Leety the Democrat, but quickly realized his mistake. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, bud. You were here first," Verrone said. "You go ahead." 

In this jittery time, in a swing city in an important state, may Scranton's polite deference to neighbors of opposite persuasions lead the way. 

Christopher Maag is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. To get unlimited access to his unique perspective on the northeast's most interesting people and experiences, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: maag@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @Chris_Maag