A weeping New Jersey mom donned a scarlet robe and oversized white hood straight from the dystopian Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale’’ to vote Tuesday morning.
“What this outfit means to me is my way of fighting back,’’ said 50-year-old optician Veronica McGrogan after casting her ballot at her polling place, Bloomfield Middle School, in Bloomfield in Essex County.
The eerie costume from the acclaimed series has become a protest symbol for women’s rights, particularly involving abortion — and McGrogan said she fears those rights are threatened by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“I have a blended family. I have a wife. I have a trans daughter. Everything [Trump’s supporters] are against, I kind of check all those lists,’’ the married mom of two said, wiping away tears.
“And it’s terrifying,’’ the woman said.
“I am emotional because this is not a film, this is not a series, this is not a show. This is actually reality,’’ she said.
“I could wake up tomorrow, and this might not be a costume,’’ McGrogan said, grabbing her bright-red robe. “This could be reality.
“I don’t feel safe,’’ she said. “And being here today, voting for [Kamala Harris], making my contribution, to my vote counting for her, hopefully she will be our next president,’’ she said of the veep and Democratic presidential candidate.
New Jersey gets 14 electoral votes in the Electoral College. President Biden won the Garden State in 2020, with 57.34% of the votes.
