From haircuts to politics: Las Vegas and Henderson voters weigh in on election
With election day just 36 days away, we wanted to check in with you, the voter.
In the next few weeks, we will crisscross the valley in a new series called "Voice of the Voter."
This week, we're serving as the proverbial "fly on the wall" at a barber shop in Las Vegas and a salon in Henderson,
The radically curly come to the Radically Curly salon to get spruced up. "Our hair is a big part of our culture, and it needs to be celebrated," explained owner Danielle Green.
The goal at Fade'em All Barbershop is also in its name. Inside, you'll find close cuts and others sitting around just choppin' it up.
"I think the barbershop is where a lot of men, especially Black men relax, speak their mind," baber Alvin Taylor told News 3's Latoya Silmon.
No topic is off limits at this barbershop, including presidential politics.
"It will be more impactful in my eyes to see a woman like Mrs. Harris in office," Promise Patterson told a group of guys at the shop.
However, not everyone's convinced. George McCoy says the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her Republican opponent Donald Trump, don't make the cut.
"I'm not voting at all because I don't believe in either as a leader of the nation," McCoy explained.
Alvin Taylor immediately pushed back saying, "As a Black man, do you feel like not voting is a slap in your ancestor's face? We got ancestors that died, cried for this," he said.
George says he's seeing a lot about what candidates will do once in office, but Harris is already there. He went on to say, "Just do something now to show good faith."
Ty Jones, a 65-year-old retiree, quickly disagreed with the 35-year-old entrepreneur. "They've (President Biden and VP Harris) done some stuff okay. I mean for one thing they made the out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs less," he explained.
As they comb through the issues in Las Vegas, during makeovers in Henderson there's a different approach.
Undecided voters like stylist Kenya Mosley and her client Bianca Barbaryan receive a listening ear, without rebuttal.
"It's kinda hard to decipher between distractions and what's real and what's fake," said Kenya.
"There's not really one side that I quickly agree with, and there's a lot of negativity in general with politics," explained Bianca.
There's also no debate after Lelia Nelson, a Harris supporter, shares views that mirror many of the ones heard across town at Fade'em All. "Our government by no means is perfect, but that's not really a reason to give up. If anything, it's a reason to get more involved," she explained.
Radically Curly's owner, Danielle Green, believes in the importance of voting so much that she's giving her stylists time off work so they can cast their ballots.
Back at the determined meeting of the minds at the barbershop, the efforts to change George's view on voting seemed to work.
"I definitely feel obligated to go out and vote now," he said to a round of applause.
While George changed his mind about not voting, he says he still has some homework to do before election day.
It's important to note: during our time at both businesses, we did not find anyone who said they were a Trump supporter. You will hear from plenty of them during our Voice of the Voter series.
