American Voter: Travis Hueber

US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are battling for the presidency in a sharply divided United States. Trump has been focusing on “law and order,” Biden has been trying to strike a conciliatory note. The Black Lives Matter movement, and whether Trump will release his taxes are among the many issues Americans will consider when choosing their president. As the hotly contested election approaches, Al Jazeera has been speaking to voters across the US asking nine questions to understand who they are supporting and why. Travis Hueber [Courtesy of Travis Hueber]Age: 22 Occupation: Legislative and Research Intern at the Arizona Advocacy Network  Residence: Maricopa County, Arizona Voted in 2016 for: Hillary Clinton Will Vote in 2020 for: Joe Biden Top Election Issue: Democracy Will you vote? Why or why not? “I will be voting. There are about 1,000 different issues I will be voting upon. But definitely democracy is my number one issue … the United States is a backsliding democracy, which is especially prevalent in the last four years, but has been prevalent throughout its history, of course – depression, lack of franchise, all of those.” What is your number one issue? “Democracy, and having free and fair elections are by far my biggest issue. “I think that at least with my education in Arizona, and then just as US citizens, we’re educated that the United States is a democracy, that it is a good one. And I don’t believe that that is true. I think the fact that a state like mine in Arizona has the capacity and is often pushed to disenfranchise voters of colour, especially Native American people, students, elderly people – now that we’re in a pandemic – and the incessant ability of other states to have gerrymandered districts, the kind of lack of independence of the judiciary as well, I think is a big thing, too. So, you know, I think democracy is on the ballot here, not only with [the] legislative but also judicial.” Who will you vote for? “I will be voting for Joe Biden.” Is there a main reason you chose your candidate? “I think there are a lot of issues. I’ll start off with voting, just because that’s my big thing. One of the bigger reasons I am voting for him is because of who I think that he will put on to courts. I am a very legal-minded person, and the current Supreme Court has already struck down the main piece of the Voting Rights Act. They’re looking like they’re going to strike down the rest of it. And I think that the members of the court that Joe Biden would put onto the court – I think that they would hopefully go further than just protecting the Voting Rights Act, or whatever is used to replace it. I would hope that they would vote against gerrymandering, I would hope that they would recognise voting as a fundamental right, as well as the thing that I think is protected by certain amendments of the constitution. “Besides that, I think that the country is in a place where it’s finally really starting to recognise its bitter past of racial inequality and the issues of climate change and 1,000 different issues. I think we’re at a point at this part where the parties are – while Joe Biden is definitely very centre –  the parties are very split on those two issues, and the Democratic Party by far represents my take on them.” style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">