In mid-October, I found myself in Pennsylvania after a speaking engagement. I made a last-minute decision to stick around for a few days and help get out the vote for Kamala Harris. I met up with an organizer friend in Hazleton, a town of 30,000 people in northeastern Pennsylvania. It’s in a county that typically votes Republican by a large margin and has a lot of low propensity voters.

A hundred years ago, the population of Hazleton was primarily Irish, Italian, and Polish immigrants who worked in the mines. In the past 20 years, there’s been a large influx of Dominicans from NY and NJ who were drawn by the relatively affordable housing and employment opportunities. The town is now 63% Dominican.

The Harris campaign had established a small campaign office in Hazleton. As a Swiftie for Kamala, I shared my handmade friendship bracelets, and I quickly felt part of the team. Before the end of the weekend, I committed to returning for the final week before the election.

One day, I canvassed in the rural area outside Hazleton. Some people I talked with were planning to vote for Trump, others for Harris, and some households were split. There was a lot of deer and a lot of Trump signs. I was disturbed by a figure mounted on a tree, “Comrade Conala, Border Czar” with a beige suit and donkey head.

In a largely Dominican neighborhood, I found both Harris and Trump supporters. At a house with Harris signs out front, I met Bernardo. His warmth and enthusiasm were apparent, and I asked if he would help me talk with his neighbors. Bernardo and his granddaughter came with me for an hour and a half and bridged the language and cultural barriers I faced on my own.

I energetically knocked doors on Election Day. In the morning, I made sure voters knew where their polling locations were. By evening, many proudly showed me their “I voted” stickers. Children happily accepted the “Pennsylvania for Harris” buttons I offered. But watching the returns come in with other volunteers at a pub, things started to look bad for our team, and the outcome seemed pretty clear by the time I went to bed late that night.

Although the election didn’t turn out as I hoped, I’m so grateful for my time in Hazleton. I was glad to be engaged and feel useful rather than fretting about the polls from my home in California. I also learned a lot from the voters I met and by spending time in their town (listen to the Ready to Be Strong podcast to hear more about these conversations and the insights I gained). You can find additional musings about Hazelton and the election in the New York Times and Harley Augustino’s blog. Finally, as has always been my experience on campaigns, working with other people toward a common goal is a great bonding experience. I’m so happy to have made such wonderful connections!