Dr. Anthony Fauci and the essential workers who have labored throughout the coronavirus pandemic are tied neck-and-neck as key nominees for Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” award, a list on which New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have also landed.
The annual poll opened on Wednesday and pulls from reader vote submissions, as individuals are required to vote “yes” or “no” when asked whether or not a specific nominee should be chosen as the overall award winner.
Readers may cast votes of “yes” or “no” to all 80 of the magazine’s nominated candidates.
Final results will be revealed in early December, with Time’s editors selecting an overall winner by Dec. 10.
Fauci, the U.S.’s top epidemiologist who became a national fixture over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic response, as well as essential employees doctors, nurses, delivery workers, public transit and grocery store employees are leading the publication’s list — as of Wednesday both are tied, after individually receiving a yes by 81 percent of respondents, and no by 19 percent of voters.
Thirty five percent of readers gave Cuomo a thumbs up for the award compared to 65 percent who voted no.
The third-term Democratic governor celebrated winning the 2020 International Emmys’ “Founders Award” last week as well as being a New York Times bestseller with his latest novel, “American Crisis.”
But he’s slightly trailing liberal darling, Bronx Democratic Socialist AOC — who has thus far secured 38 percent yes votes in her favor.
The Democratic presidential ticket scored big with president-elect Joe Biden clinching 64 percent of the yes votes compared to 36 percent in opposition, and his running mate Kamala Harris performed even better — by a 68 percent to 32 percent yes-no margin.
Polling for their Republican counterparts followed far behind, President Donald Trump has a mere 8 percent of the yes vote cast in his favor compared to 92 percent of individuals who votes no, and Vice President Mike Pence’s popularity is even lower, as just 3 percent responded in the affirmative.
Following nearly half a year of civil unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd in May, then summertime, anti-cop protests across cities globally — the Black Lives Matter movement scored big, hitting 61 percent in the yes category compared to 39 percent of those who said no.
Britain’s wayward royal power-couple Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made the cut, too, with Markle leading her husband at 26 percent of the yes vote compared to his 20 percent.
Individuals representing Big Tech barely scooped 10 percent of the yes vote, in total, with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey sporting 8 percent, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at 3 percent. Just 6 percent said Amazon’s Jeff Bezos should be crowned winner.
Meanwhile, Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan has 10 percent of the yes vote — the interactive, video technology has become a staple for companies unable to work in traditional offices and conduct face to face meetings with employees and clients alike during the pandemic, as well as individuals seeking to connect with loved ones and friends in a socially distanced manner from afar.
Other nominees include artists Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and one-time presidential candidate, rapper Kanye West.
Georgia politico Stacey Abrams, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr’s names similarly got a nod, as well as American NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, the NBA’s Lebron James and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The 2019 award went to Swedish climate change activist, teenager Greta Thunberg.