Even as President Obama skipped a planned rally in Orlando Monday due to Hurricane Sandy his Florida campaign was in full swing. Obama volunteers fanned across the state offering free transportation to polling sites. One stop was at Florida Gulf Coast University.
An Obama campaign SUV parked in front on the Student Union offered rides to any and all takers. But, there weren’t too many takers. Some students said they were heading home to vote or voting by absentee ballot.
Others said they hadn’t registered so voting wasn’t an option. But, Freshman Eusyher Mendoza said she would be voting early in this, her first presidential election. She said she determined who to vote for based on issues that impact her.
“I want to be able to decide what to do with my body. To make sure that everyone has their basic rights,” she said. “Also I am the child of immigrants and that is a big issue for me. And going to school making sure I can pay for it, that’s a big issue for me.”
Mendoza did not say who she would be voting for. But student Anthony Pascarella wore his sentiment on his chest, sporting a large button reading “Stop Obamacare”
“The budget deficit, like Medicare, social security, Medicaid, that takes up like 92 percent of the budget,”, Pacarella said. “That’s Obama’s Treasury Secretary that said that. And like Obama care is totally going to bankrupt us.”
Obama volunteers will be offering free rides from campus to the polls through Friday. The Romney campaign is also providing transportation for voters. As of Sunday evening, 1.6 million Floridians had cast ballots.
