In the state of Pennsylvania, the last presidential election was particularly close. Donald Trump won in 2016, then Joe Biden in 2020, each time by a margin of about one percentage point. In this context, Republicans are courting the Amish of Lancaster, a community of nearly 50,000 people who still vote very little, but who could tip the balance in this swing state.
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An Amish woman and her child, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, wait at a street intersection before crossing. While the Lancaster Amish travel by horse-drawn carriage, they may ride in a car driven by someone else. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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The land in the area is visibly fertile and several farms appear to be thriving. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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Emily Petersheim, 17, was heading to work at the Kountry Kupboard store in the village of Intercourse in late March 2024. The Lancaster area is home to one of the largest Amish communities in the United States. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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Signs along the road remind people of the presence of horse-drawn carriages to encourage better cohabitation with cars. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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Aaron, 66, is waiting for the bus holding his money outside The Old Woodshed antique shop in Intercourse. He says he knows nothing about politics. “Elections? That’s in God’s hands.” Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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Traditional clothes dry on a clothesline. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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At Katie’s Kitchen restaurant in the village of Ronks, young Amish girls work in the kitchens, serving dishes from their community. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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Amos Fisher tends his tulips behind his family’s market, where a tourist bus has stopped. He voted for Donald Trump in the last two elections, but now considers the White House hopeful “a disaster,” particularly because of the Stormy Daniels affair. “I don’t know what to do. I’m asking God to guide me,” he says. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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Members of the Lancaster Amish community also travel on foot, or with the help of an adapted pedal-free bicycle that is propelled like a scooter, that is, by pushing the foot against the ground. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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A dog in a vehicle watches an Amish man riding a modified bicycle. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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An Amish grocery store sells local produce. Several community members have small family businesses in carpentry and retail, making them susceptible to Republicans’ pro-entrepreneurship rhetoric. Marie-France Coallier The Duty
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