Long Islanders Say None of the Above for President

In Long Island towns like Roslyn, election signs are sparse. Janet Babin/WNYC

Voters registered in New York's Long Island are relatively split among Democrats, Republicans and Independents. But no matter their party affiliation, many are dissatisfied with the current frontrunners in the U.S. Presidential Election.

“I don’t have a whole lot of faith in the theatrics of Donald Trump, and I’m not really sure of the honesty of Hillary Clinton, so I’m basically undecided as this whole thing rolls out," said Betty Hamilton of Northport Village.

It's frustrating to watch adult candidates act like children, Hamilton said, when she's dealing with really tough issues that she'd like to see addressed by the next President.

"I have a son with college debt of over $100,000," said Hamilton.

A similar dissatisfaction was expressed in other Long Island towns, no matter whether they're populated with mostly weathly or working class residents.

"I don't think I'm going to vote at all, I can't deal with either one of them," said Dick Nelson of Huntington, which has a median household income between $100,000 and $150,000, based on the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.

Voter frustration on Long Island is also showing up in election polls. A Newsday/News 12 Long Island/Siena College survey found that in a head-to-head match up between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Trump would win but only by three percentage points, well within the poll's margin of error.

Most telling is that many voters told the survey-takers they would choose none-of-the-above in that matchup.

"There is a significant number of people who are dissatisfied with both of the candidates. In fact, over a quarter, 26% of independents said 'I won’t vote for either of those two people,'" said Don Levy, Siena College Poll director.

Long Island is much like the Rust Belt regions of Michigan and Pennsylvania, where wage stagnation and rising costs are causing anxiety.

"There’s a sense that the quality of life is slipping away from us a little bit here in Long Island," said Levy.