The Facebook post asked: “Who votes Democrat?”

It could just as well have asked “Who votes Republican?”

My answer would have been just the same: “Statistically, based on recent presidential elections, probably about half the people you know.”

If a Republican, for example, claims he doesn’t know any Democrats, then he either needs to get out more but more likely needs to take a long look in the mirror and reassess himself. He either ignores half the people around him or he’s so obnoxious about his political views that a lot of people just keep quiet while he spouts his political harangues.

Or on social media, he’s either blocked or been blocked by many people from the opposing party. Or he’s blocked people he disagrees with.

There is no real evidence that votes are manufactured on a mass scale. Anyone really paying attention will notice that about half the people they know or have known during their lifetimes are Democrats and about half the people they know or have known are Republicans.

We can disassociate ourselves all we want from one another but that doesn’t mean someone from the other party isn’t still your neighbor, sitting beside you at the movie theatre, shopping for cereal beside you at the grocery store, stopped at the same traffic light, employed by the same company, waiting your table at your favorite restaurant …

Yes, a Democrat and/or a Republican handles your food. Let the conspiracy theories begin.

Politically, we’re a country that’s half and half. Argue all you want that the halves are represented by red states and blue states but really we’re a very purple not-so-United States. Only some purples are a little more blue and some are a little more red.

In presidential politics, even in the states that are considered certain Republican or Democrat wins, the wins are often by slim margins. They aren’t exactly 50-50, but some squeak by as close as 51-49, while others totter in at something like 58-42. Some statewide margins are certainly larger.

Georgia teetered at roughly 50-50 four years ago. In 2020, Joe Biden garnered 2,473,633 votes, Donald Trump scored 2,461,854. That boils down to 49.5% to 49.3% of the Georgia vote.

County by county, in Georgia, things are not even, often not even close. Percentages teeter-totter with a large number of counties with smaller populations going heavily toward Trump and fewer counties with larger populations going heavily for Biden.

Lowndes County split roughly 60-40 with Trump garnering 25,727 votes to Biden’s 20,083. Tift County had a larger difference at 10,782 for Trump and 5,323 for Biden. Same roughly for Thomas County with 13,027, Trump, to 8,697, Biden. Colquitt had the largest difference in this set of examples at roughly 73-26, with 11,778 for Trump and 4,189 for Biden.

At the end of the day, whether it’s in a community that is 49.5-49.3, or 60-40, or 73-26, both sides live in the same towns, shop at the same places, eat at the same restaurants, maybe even go to the same churches.

And the voting numbers don’t even count the children who can’t vote and the adults who don’t vote but who have and express political opinions anyway. Or the people who commute to work in a different town. Or the number of visiting college students.

They live and work and study in these communities, too.

As with past elections, some folks will promise to leave the country if their candidate loses this year. Some will insist other people leave the country if others don’t agree with their view of what America should be.

As with past elections, no one is going anywhere. So, don’t get your hopes up that you’ll be living in a community that agrees 100% with you if your candidate wins.

We need to come to terms that we’re stuck with each other.

The more we demonize our neighbors, the more they demonize us.

If you’re asking, Who votes Democrat? Who votes Republican?

Look as close as your neighbor. Look as close as your co-worker. Look as close as your family.

Even if the answer is not 50-50, it’s more people than you probably realize or may want to admit.

Even if you won’t answer the question, it’s not some covert enemy. It’s likely a strong percentage of the people you know.

And probably, some people you love and who love you, too.

Dean Poling is the former editor of The Valdosta Daily Times and The Tifton Gazette.