Voters speak — how they voted and why

I’m glad it’s over, and I hope the outlook is bright and that we have more fun than we have the past four years. Somebody said to me, ‘If Obama gets in, the Jews will get bombed.’ That’s ridiculous. Obama wouldn’t allow such a thing, and I think he is as much for Israel as other people.

— Ms. Frankie Schwartz, 82, Encino

You can’t trust any politician unfortunately — but if I had to choose, I just couldn’t trust Obama. There’s something wrong with him.

— Arlene Pelton, senior citizen, Encino

We’ve lived here for 30 years and this is the first time we voted. We felt we needed to do it. A gut feeling.

— Yakov Klishstein, Ukraine emigre who lives in Beverly Hills and, like his wife, Inna, voted for McCain

I voted third party for the first time. We’re not a swing state like Ohio in California, so my vote isn’t going to change it for Obama or McCain. By voting for a third-party canddiate, hopefully it will send a message that I wasn’t happy with either party.

— Adam Hauptman, 30, Beverly Hills

I voted for Obama because it’d be nice to have a literate President. It is the height of stupidity to perpetuate policies that have clearly not been working.I’m really split, in general, on both candidates’ positions of support or non-support for Israel. On the one hand, I support a Jewish state. On the other hand, I think the Palestinians are getting the shaft. I don’t really know what’s happening over there and I’m scared to rely on what anybody’s saying.No on Prop 8 because to legislate inequity based on religion, race or sexual preference goes fundamentally against the foundational tenets of our country.— Ron Haas, 37, Santa Monica

I voted for Obama because I’m a very liberal person, and he was by far the better candidate. He represents the rights of minorities, and that’s important to me as a Jewish person. I think he’s interested in protecting underrepresented groups.

The issue of Israel is important, and I believe he has effectively convinced me of his support but my parents have doubts about Barack Obama from when the emails went around about him being a Muslim and pro-Palestinian. But he’s come out time and time again saying he’s not Muslim and there’s no evidence supporting that he is Muslim.

No on Prop. 8 because I believe all people are created equally and should have the same civil rights. Also, No on Prop. 4 because we as women have to protect our youth. Young women need to be able to make decisions independent of their parents in matters that concern their bodies and would potentially affect the rest of their lives. It’s a Jewish value to treat people equally and protect the underrepresented, like children, who don’t yet have the right to vote. And the Jewish concept of life begins at birth.

— Rachelle Neshkes, 26, Santa Monica

I’m a registered Democrat so it wasn’t a question for me from the beginning, but my husband is a registered Republican and we’re both voting for Obama. We both invest and have more confidence in the market if Obama was elected.

No on Prop 8 because I don’t think that has any place on the ballot. It’s not my place to tell someone else if they can marry or not.

— Alyssa Singer, 30, Santa Monica

I voted for Obama because we have to work towards getting rid of all the corruption. It’s a cancerous spread everywhere and we have to get rid of it. I’m progressive so I wish I could have voted for Dennis Kucinich, but McCain is a total disaster.

No on 11 because it’s a scam. They’re trying to have a panel of half Democrats and half Republicans to select districts and for voting it’s wrong because in our state, we have mostly Democratic voters so it’s imbalanced. Then there are these religion-driven propositions that drain the treasury. I’m really disgusted with the whole initiative process — it’s completely abused. Prop 8 was supported by special interests and got out of state money. Prop 8 got half a million dollars from Erik Prince of Blackwater Worldwide [private military company].

It’s highly disgusting.

— Anonymous female Santa Monica resident, 44