TOLEDO, Ohio — Election Day has passed and now, we have a projected winner.
We stopped at Wildwood Metropark on Friday and asked people what they believe needs to be done to bring the country together in the next four years.
Many believe the increased voter turnout is a good sign.
"I think the privilege of voting was really important," Lisa Canales-Smith said. "Whether you're Republican or Democrat, the important thing was getting out to vote."
People stressed more respect and compassion for one another is needed.
"No matter who wins what will bring us together is a different type of respect for each other, a willingness to really want to work with each other no matter who we are or what we do," Diana Kelman said.
"Less partisanship," Tom Bird said. "Too many people are focused on what party they belong to and not what's best for the people."
Everyone we spoke to agreed that politics is stressful and that the pandemic has made things worse.
"My three-month-old son was the youngest in Lucas and Wood County to have COVID," Canales-Smith said. "So when you say and you don't take precautions and you say it's not important, I have a problem with that."
But most people seem optimistic, there's still hope.
"More needs to be done on a local level as far as society having respect among each other and responsibility," one voter said.
Daniel March, a communications graduate from University of Toledo, stressed the media needs to do a better job of helping to bring people together.
"A lot of mainstream media, they don't work for the people, they work for money," March said. "And I think it's really up to local news stations like yourself to bring the nation together."
And by asking questions and fostering community dialogue, the first steps toward bringing people together can be made.
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