FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — On the surface, 67-year-old Herman Beall and 23-year-old Samuela Wolfe may appear worlds apart. But both Marylanders just cast their first-ever ballot.
For Wolfe, it was the first time she legally could. She just earned her citizenship in July 2020. Her family immigrated from Sierra Leone to the United States when she was seven years old. Now, she's working as a server at a nursing home and studying to be a Medical Assistant in Montgomery County.
“It feels really good, because I’ve been in this country since I was 7, and I see all these elections, and it’s like I wish I can vote," Wolfe said. "But now I can."
Beall, on the other hand, was born and raised in the USA, spending the last couple decades in Frederick County. Still, Tuesday was the first time in his life that he cast a ballot.
"Always felt both candidates promise a lot and they don’t hold up to their promise, so it don’t matter who you put in there, it's going to be wrong," Beall said. "But I will say ,Trump has gotten the economy back going. And we can live comfortable.”
Herman's wife, Bonnie, was thrilled she finally convinced him to join her at the polls -- after trying to persuade him every election.
“Every vote, every person counts, and we need the votes," Bonnie said.
Wolfe said she and her sister heavily researched all the candidates on the ballot and pretty much didn't decide until Election Day who they would vote for.
“I didn’t want to vote, but I think about it, it’s my responsibility to vote," Wolfe's sister," Zainab Sandy said. "So I just pray about it, and want to make the best choice, because I already have children, so have to vote for my children and myself.”
In the end, both Sandy and Wolfe decided to vote for Biden, because of the toll they've seen the coronavirus take. Both work in health care.
“I have two kids, so I need a president that can do better for America," Wolfe said. "And corona is really hard, because I’m a server for a nursing home, so I see it.”
Sandy said her friend's husband died from the coronavirus, so it especially hit home.
Even if their candidate doesn't win, they plan to accept the results -- and hope everyone else does, too.
“I just pray that everything goes normal and no one has to fight and there’ll be peace," Sandy said.