Wayne Britto walks to his barber shop in downtown Kissimmee. The issue most important to Britto is illegal immigration. He thinks it’s bizarre that the U.S. doesn’t do a better job of securing its borders.
“I don’t know if a wall or the military, when people are on reserve duty from the U.S. military maybe they should do their summer camp, their two weeks training guarding that border, something has to change,” said Britto.
Britto says illegal immigration is costly to U.S. taxpayers. He admits he isn’t registered to vote in next week’s presidential primary.“I just never have and I don’t know why, no good reason.”
Pressed some more, he speaks to voter apathy.
“I guess the U.S. citizens get a lax attitude towards a thing like that and half of the time just say well, it doesn’t matter who is in office, that’s just a figurehead you almost say, and things are gonna go on as normal. That’s why you almost like to see Trump, maybe he will shake them people up a little bit,” said Britto.
Down the street, Linda Bowden sits at an Amtrak stop. Bowden is under doctor’s care and dealing with her fair share of health problems.
“I was hit by a car recently, and I'm waiting on a settlement for that. I’m just, I’m dealing with vertigo, I have dizzy spells and I have a cataract on my left eye,” said Bowden.
Bowden said even though she has Medicaid she’s still paying a lot out of pocket for her prescriptions. She's strapped with medical debt from past surgeries on her foot. Bowden wants the next president to make healthcare more affordable.
Puerto Rican voter Myrna Vega waits for her to-go order at Willy’s Hot Dogs. The most important thing about this election cycle for her is tone and respect. She’s a big Marco Rubio supporter.
She said in Spanish that she agrees with the way he [Rubio] treats all people no matter who they are, their nationality. She also likes his Christian ideals, his faith.
Vega is aware Rubio is trailing in the polls and said she would jump to the other party and vote for Hillary Clinton if Donald Trump gets the Republican nomination because she doesn’t like his rhetoric about Hispanics.
23 year-old Mackenzie Ewing has lived in Kissimmee since 2012. She wants a president that will help the Americans most in need.
"There are so many people that are homeless, veterans that need work and we’re focused on silly things like a dress or something stupid over the internet,” said Ewing.
Ewing is "feeling the Bern" and believes Democrat Bernie Sanders would be the candidate to make the most positive change in the world. Passionate as Ewing is, she said she’ll vote in the Florida presidential primary… if she can.
The candidates have just a few more days to motivate voters like her to get to the polls on election day.