The presidential race is the talk of Philly-area voters who come out en masse on Election Day

At the end of a campaign that may have set records for spending, irritating robocalls, text messages, and emails, and inescapable political commercials, it was understandable that some who cast ballots Tuesday expressed a certain electoral fatigue.

But on a balmy day that felt like it wandered in from late May, energized voters showed up early and in sizable numbers at polling places throughout the region, and in interviews left no ambiguity about why they were willing to endure the lines and compete for parking spaces.

They were choosing between presidential nominees Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and former President Donald Trump, a Republican, both of whom were vying to make history: Harris as the first woman of color to be chief executive, Trump as the first former president in 132 years to regain the office after losing a bid for reelection.

While final numbers likely won’t be available for days, election officials throughout the region reported that turnout was brisk.

No major incidents were reported, and while Trump on Truth Social referred Tuesday afternoon to “a lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia,” city GOP chair Vince Fenerty said he was unaware of such claims.

In the evening, officials reported several bomb threats at polling places across the state, but FBI, state, and local investigators found “no credible threat.”

Stephanie Green, her 10-year-old daughter, Charlee, in tow, said she cast her vote for Harris “to be part of history” at Philly’s Holsey Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where voters had lined up before the polls opened at 7 a.m.

While both Pennsylvania and New Jersey had down-ballot races and contentious and expensive marquee U.S. Senate elections, the attention of voters clearly was lasered on the presidential race — the most polarizing since, perhaps, the last two elections involving Trump.

“We’re all worried about the main event, not the undercard,” said Sean Brennan, 42, a union laborer who voted in Winslow Township, Camden County, for Kamala Harris, along with his daughter, Marley, 19. “I have no thoughts about the Senate race.”

Democratic U.S. Rep. Andy Kim made history of his own Tuesday, elected as the Senate’s first Korean American and the first U.S. senator from South Jersey in 70 years. The Associated Press called the race for Kim at 8 p.m. He defeated Republican Curtis Bashaw, a Cape May hotelier, for the seat formerly held by convicted ex-Sen. Bob Menendez.

On the Pennsylvania side, Democratic U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon and Brendan Boyle were reelected. In the highest-profile race outside of the presidency, Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was trying to withstand a vigorous challenge from Republican Dave McCormick, in a race that had tightened in recent days.

But to some extent that race was eclipsed by the unprecedented attention that the presidential nominees heaped upon the Keystone State in pursuit of its treasury of 19 electoral votes, the most among the so-called swing states.

Between them, Harris and Trump made more than 40 visits to Pennsylvania. In recent weeks, it might have seemed they spent as much time in the state as the governor.

And the presidential race dominated the comments of voters, with the economy, crime, border security, immigration, abortion, transgender rights, and Trump himself among their concerns.

Nikeya Boone, 50, of East Falls, said she hardly slept Monday night and remained nervous after casting her vote for Harris Tuesday morning. “I’m really concerned about overall democracy and what’s best for the greater good,” Boone said. Her vote for Harris was “not about her being a woman. It’s not about race. I’m worried about Trump’s divisiveness.”

But Jennifer Klimas, 57, a registered Republican, said she felt safer when Trump was president. The Chadds Ford-area resident said she had recently been assaulted late at night.

“I’m very disappointed in how a crime victim is handled with this administration,” Klimas said. “They are way too easy on crime.”

While Trump has taken heat for his unsupported claims about Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats, Ann Brown, 65, an African American Republican and retired elementary school teacher in Center City, believes the former president will address her concerns about the border.

A lifelong Democrat, she switched parties last year after feeling frustrated about immigration. “It’s not right when people are homeless on the street here, that were born here, and they’re not doing nothing, but other people from other countries [are] coming over and living good,” Brown said.

In Reading, Rene Comes and his wife, Marangely Oliveras, said they had planned to vote for Trump. Like many other Puerto Ricans in the city, which is now more than two-thirds Latino, they object to mass illegal immigration. They also felt that Trump could stand up to other world leaders.

Then they heard about Trump’s now-infamous Madison Square Garden rally, at which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage.” And on Tuesday, they went to their polling place, the Berks Latino Workforce Development Center in Reading’s south side, and cast their ballots for Harris.

After voting at Hazleton’s City Hall, Nitzia Rivera, 61, said, “I’m from Puerto Rico and they’re saying we are garbage. I’m going to show him we are not.”

Outside West Philadelphia High School, Milo Dabney, 51, a 28-year union worker who was sporting a blue Kamala-Tim Walz shirt, said that his primary concern was the potential loss of blue-collar jobs under Trump and that he couldn’t support such a “hateful person.”

Both Trump and Harris voters in Upper Gwynedd Township said Tuesday they were tired of the political polarization, but disagreed on whom to blame.

“This nonsense with yelling and screaming at each other — that’s got to be over with,” said Jack Meehan, 75, who used to work in finance. He voted for Trump.

“He can’t keep his mouth shut, yeah,” Meehan said. But then Democrats have signs that say “Trump for Prison,” he said. “That’s divisive.”

On the other side, Gene and Carol Kadish voted for Harris “so this crap doesn’t happen anymore,” Gene Kadish said.

“We’re voting for the Constitution, democracy, a woman’s right to choose, and everything that Harris stands for,” Carol Kadish said. “We are totally opposed to the other party.”

Some voters, like Jim Flanigan, said they felt forced to choose between candidates they didn’t like.

“I held my nose,” said Flanigan, 65, a retired sales manager who voted for Trump, adding he did so despite Trump’s “massive, narcissistic ego.”

Alan Geist said he “gagged” as he voted Tuesday morning at Schwenksville Elementary School, but he cast his ballot for Trump. “It was not a happy vote,” said Geist, 68, an engineer. Geist said he favors abortion rights at the beginning of pregnancy and is concerned about environmental issues, but he believes Trump would keep a government in check that he sees as “institutionally more liberal.”

Voters at the nation’s largest buffet restaurant, the Shady Maple Smorgasbord in heavily Republican rural Lancaster County, had fewer reservations about the former president, praising him for his stances on the economy, immigration, and abortion.

“The economy has been s— for the least four years,” said Colin West, 35, of East Earl. “I voted for [former President Barack] Obama twice … In the last eight-plus years, things seem to be getting worse.”

“I don’t like Kamala. I think she doesn’t answer any questions,” said Trump voter Jane Guyer, 43, who owns a local concrete and asphalt company, “and I don’t thinks she’d make a good president.”

Abortion was a major issue dividing many Harris and Trump supporters.

“I vote on a pro-life platform,” said Brigid Gallagher, 35, a GOP election campaign worker in West Chester. “I believe that life begins at conception, and it’s not something I’ll stray from.”

Nicole Lewis, a Philadelphia mother of six, said, “I voted for Kamala Harris and the Democratic ticket because I’m a woman and I want to keep my rights. I have three daughters and I want them to have their rights.” Lewis said she decided that her most recent child would be her last. “But if something happens one night and I might need reproductive health care — that’s my business.”

For Lewis, 37, the campaign has been an exhausting experience, and she said she almost lost sight of what she was voting for after the nonstop deluge of calls, text messages, social media advertisements, and TV commercials muddled her perspectives on candidates. Over the last couple of months, she said, she received 2,600 calls and texts trying to persuade her to vote for specific candidates.

“This election with the calls, texts, commercials, and posts all up and down my social media, it was shoved down your throat — and very anxiety-inducing,” she said. “After a while, they were all trying to be so terrible to the other side, it was hard to tell who was who.”

Come Wednesday that part, at least, should all be over.

Philadelphian, Emily Cucinotta, 36, hopes that she is about to see Harris make history.

“It’s been a celebration for the past few days,” said Cucinotta, who attended Harris’ rally and concert Monday night at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

She all but danced out of the polling station Tuesday morning at Delaplaine McDaniel School in South Philadelphia after casting a ballot for Harris. Cucinotta, who describes herself as half-Black and half-white, said she used to dream as a child about one day having the first woman president.

“To hopefully see this come to fruition, and especially with somebody who is a minority, it’s really incredibly powerful,” she said.

Contributing to this article were staff writers Ximena Conde, Beatrice Forman, Sarah Gantz, Maddie Hanna, Lynette Hazelton, Earl Hopkins, Frank Kummer, Jenn Ladd, Erin McCarthy, Gillian McGoldrick, Michelle Myers, Jason Nark, Mike Newall, Amy S. Rosenberg, Wendy Ruderman, Henry Savage, Vinny Vella, and Aubrey Whelan.