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What voters want from the candidates they're voting for

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

On this midterm Election Day, many questions remain, including what might the next two years have in store? NPR went to the polls today and asked voters what they expect from the candidates who win.

ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST:

In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams is running to defeat Republican Governor Brian Kemp. Voter Dilek Bell in Atlanta hopes she undoes his actions on abortion.

DILEK BELL: If Stacey Abrams were to win, I expect her to reverse the abortion ban that Kemp signed into law in January.

SHAPIRO: In Waltham, Mass., Anastasia Centore would like to see lawmakers invest more in education.

ANASTASIA CENTORE: I'm hoping that they continue to support public schools and the public system from a tax perspective.

JASON RODRIGUEZ: I hope what Biden was talking about earlier comes to pass - right? - that we pick up the seats in the House and the Senate that we need to codify Roe, make it the law of the land. And then we can go on and tackle other critical issues that we're facing.

SHAPIRO: That's Jason Rodriguez, also in Waltham.

ASHLEY CHRISTOPHER: But Ashley Christopher in Kenosha, Wis., would simply like to see the winners stand by their campaign trail promises.

CHRISTOPHER: Just hold true to their word, whatever they do promise, to get it done, not just kind of put a word out, advertise and then just lose sight of what the actual goal is - to actually accomplish one of those goals, get something finished and done that's in favor of everybody. You know what I mean?

SHAPIRO: Celeste Pendarvis is also an Atlanta voter, and she has a wish for all the winners, regardless of party.

CELESTE PENDARVIS: I expect them to find ways to find compromise. I think the issue with our politics now is everyone's so polarized, no one wants to work together.

NADWORNY: Voters reflecting on what they expect and hope from those they voted for today.

SHAPIRO: We hope you'll listen to our special election night coverage starting at 8 o'clock Eastern. Both the Senate and the House are on the line. You can listen and follow results on npr.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Erika Ryan
Erika Ryan is a producer for All Things Considered. She joined NPR after spending 4 years at CNN, where she worked for various shows and CNN.com in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Ryan began her career in journalism as a print reporter covering arts and culture. She's a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her dog, Millie.
Justine Kenin
Justine Kenin is an editor on All Things Considered. She joined NPR in 1999 as an intern. Nothing makes her happier than getting a book in the right reader's hands – most especially her own.
Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.
Elissa Nadworny reports on all things college for NPR, following big stories like unprecedented enrollment declines, college affordability, the student debt crisis and workforce training. During the 2020-2021 academic year, she traveled to dozens of campuses to document what it was like to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. Her work has won several awards including a 2020 Gracie Award for a story about student parents in college, a 2018 James Beard Award for a story about the Chinese-American population in the Mississippi Delta and a 2017 Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in innovation.