Under the blazing central Florida sun one October afternoon, Richard Roman was resting on a bench in a small shopping street.
At 66, this New Yorker is looking for a peaceful place to retire.
So he spent the morning prospecting in the largest retirement community in the United States, "The Villages", an hour from Orlando.
"I am looking for a house and I am looking for a woman", sums up this computer programmer, smirking.
Richard Roman, future retiree in search of a new community, is resting after a day of prospecting at "The Villages", in Florida on Tuesday October 13, 2020. © Yona Helaoua, France 24
Here, the houses for sale oscillate between 200,000 and 2 million dollars, notes Richard Roman, who appreciates the activities offered by "The Villages": golf, tennis, neighborhood parties… Above all, he is attracted by the political color of this community of 77,000 inhabitants with a Republican majority.
"I'm going to feel good here!"
On November 3, he will vote for Donald Trump for the second time.
"The Democrats are trying to transform the United States into a communist country like China or Russia. Me, I want to be free," he explains.
He accuses the left of wanting free everywhere: "Free housing, free medicine, free education… but who pays for all that?"
As for the Democratic presidential candidate, it is better not to launch him on the subject: "Joe Biden, he sleeps all the time."
A Donald Trump golf cart at "The Villages", Florida on October 13, 2020 © Yona Helaoua, France 24
A few meters away, the covered terrace of the "City Fire" bar is gradually filling up.
Here, the aperitif has no time.
Mike, a die-hard Republican who has lived at "The Villages" for five years, sits at a table with friends.
"Me, Joe Biden, look what I'm doing to him," he says with a middle finger.
"He's a moron, his supporters too," he adds before recommending a vodka-tonic.
"The Villages" is known for its strong support for Donald Trump.
Vice-President Mike Pence held a meeting there last weekend.
Here, retirees ride golf carts with signs in the colors of their favorite candidate.
And with less than three weeks of the presidential election, the atmosphere is becoming tense.
Democratic mobilization
"We receive attacks by e-mail and on Facebook, says Chris Stanley, the boss of the local Democratic club. If we are crossed with a pro-Biden t-shirt, we are blocked or we are insulted."
Regardless, Democrats are more engaged than ever this year.
They even organized a pro-Biden parade in golf carts.
About a hundred of them work tirelessly to ensure that their camp's participation is maximum.
“People are more and more motivated because of the horror they see in the White House, said Mary Vaughan, a 65-year-old volunteer sorting flyers. They want their voices to count and they are getting better and better. informed about postal voting. "
Mary Vaughan, volunteer with the Democratic Club of "The Villages", Florida.
© Yona Helaoua, France 24
The coronavirus pandemic is indeed pushing many seniors to choose this voting method sharply criticized by Donald Trump.
Now in Florida, a "swing state" where Donald Trump won 1.2 points more than Hillary Clinton in 2016, nearly a third of voters are over 65 years old.
While retirees traditionally tend to lean towards the Republican camp, recent polls show that the tide could be reversed this time around.
Marie Vaughan believes that such a scenario is impossible locally.
"Here, there are two Republicans for a Democrat. So the probability that Joe Biden wins 'The Villages' is very low. But every vote counts for Florida and therefore for the electoral college and the election of the president", reason- she does.
The hope is therefore that these few clipped voices participate in a final victory for Joe Biden.
The entrance to the Democratic office of "The Villages", a retirement community in Florida, October 13, 2020. © Yona Helaoua, France 24
Donald Trump weighed down by the pandemic
Among the biggest concerns here is Donald Trump's threat to end payroll taxes to fund retirement and health insurance for the elderly, according to Democratic Leader Chris Stanley.
The president's "hateful rhetoric, incessant tweets and lies" are also singled out.
Many also believe that Donald Trump has been unable to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, a virus that is particularly dangerous for the elderly.
Chris Stanley, patron of the democratic club of "The Villages", in Florida, October 13, 2020 © Yona Helaoua, France 24
John Jerow, a 67-year-old independent voter who voted Donald Trump in 2016, believes that the subject of the coronavirus could ultimately shift his vote towards the Democratic candidate.
"If the election were to take place today, I would vote for Joe Biden," said the retiree who has not yet made up his mind.
Arrived two years ago at "The Villages", this former Pentagon employee does not mind wearing the mask, unlike his neighbors.
"I was at the Mike Pence meeting last weekend. No one wore a mask or practiced social distancing. It bothers me a lot."
John Jerow, an undecided independent from "The Villages" in Florida, leans for the moment for Joe Biden because he blames Donald Trump for his management of the pandemic.
© Yona Helaoua, France 24
Despite these positive signals for Democrats, caution remains in order.
“We burned our wings in 2016, it was terrible,” remembers volunteer Mary Vaughan.
At the time, the polls predicted Hillary Clinton's victory.
“Of course, we read everywhere that Joe Biden is winning. But it's the polls that say it, not the votes actually counted.
While waiting for the results, Mary Vaughan and the others will continue to work hard so that "The Villages" participate, even with only a few voices, in the long-awaited blue wave.
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