Three Cicero voters describe their motivations for voting in person on Election Day 2022.Karl Winter

Northern Suburbs

Cicero Voters Focus on Abortion Rights, Economy

By Karl Winter

Video

ANCHOR: VOTER TURNOUT IS STRONG TO BEGIN THE DAY IN THE NORTHERN SUBURB OF CICERO. D-I-A REPORTER KARL WINTER EXPLAINS THE ISSUE THAT BROUGHT
SEVERAL CICERO WOMEN TO THE POLLS.

REPORTER: A STEADY STREAM OF VOTERS FILED INTO THE CICERO TOWN HALL
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. KAREN PIERSON SAID THE ECONOMY WAS THE MAIN REASON SHE VOTED IN THIS
ELECTION.

KAREN PIERSON: I work at a grocery store and I see the prices going up every time I go to work. And it’s not very pleasant, especially for the older people.

REPORTER:  SEVERAL WOMEN SAID ABORTION WAS THE KEY ISSUE THAT BROUGHT THEM TO THE POLLS. VOTER BECKY ROMA SAYS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO ABORTION ARE IMPORTANT TO HER.

BECKY ROMA: It definitely was an influence on me to make sure I came out and voted. I think a lot more people are talking about this year than some other years as well.

REPORTER: GINA ROMMEL SHARED BOTH PIERSON’ AND ROMA’S SENTIMENTS —

GINA ROMMEL: I think it’s all about the economy — stronghold on abortion …

REPORTER: SAYING HER CIVIC DUTY BROUGHT HER TO VOTE ON ABORTION.

ROMMEL: Just as, you know, us women and our grandkids and our granddaughters and — you know,
it’s important. But we’ll see how it goes.

REPORTER: POLL WORKERS SAY ONE-HUNDRED-25 PEOPLE CAST BALLOTS IN THE FIRST
FOUR-AND-A-HALF HOURS OF THE DAY AT THIS PARTICULAR SITE. THEY SAY
THOSE NUMBERS FAR EXCEEDED THE TURNOUT FOR THIS YEAR’S PRIMARIES.

REPORTER: The Cicero Town Hall is one of ten polling places in the town that will all be open until 9 p.m today. They should still have plenty of these when you come in and vote. Reporting in
Cicero, I’m Karl Winter, Democracy in Action.

ABORTION WAS ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES THAT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES
FRANCIS CONOLE AND BRANDON WILLIAMS DISCUSSED IN THEIR DEBATES. FOR
MORE ELECTION COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, VISIT D-I-A DASH C-N-Y
DASH S-Y-R DOT E-D-U.

CICERO, N.Y. (DIA) — Abortion rights were the central issue for female voters at Cicero Town Hall.

At least four women mentioned abortion rights as a motivation for turning up to vote in the midterm election.

“Reproductive rights are very important to me,” Cicero resident Becky Roma said. “So I definitely want abortion access to be available, continue to be available in New York State and then across the country as well.”

Abortion rights were a central issue in the competitive Congressional race for the 22nd District between Francis Conole (D) and Brandon Williams (R).

Roma said the abortion rights issue was influential to get her to the polls in 2022.

“I missed a few years — nobody’s perfect, but I think there’s a lot definitely a lot more information out,” Roma said. “So [it] definitely was an influence on me to make sure I came out and voted and I think a lot more people are talking about it this year than some other years as well.”

Gina Rommel, a hairdresser from Cicero, mirrored Roma’s reasoning for coming out to vote Tuesday.

“Just as a woman, just us women and our grandkids and our granddaughters and, you know — it’s important,” Rommel said.

Rommel also mentioned the economy as a primary motivation to vote this year. Fellow resident Karen Pierson also cited the economy and inflation as reasons she came to cast her ballot.

“I work at a grocery store, and I see the prices going up every time I go to work,” Pierson said. “It’s not very pleasant, especially for the older people. They’re having a hard time. So we have to — we got to do something.”

Voter turnout in the northern Syracuse suburb was high Tuesday morning. Poll workers at the Cicero Town Hall site collected 110 votes by 9:30 a.m. and 124 votes by 10:30 a.m. — far outpacing the less than 100 that the site received in a full day during the primaries earlier in 2022.

The polling places closed at 9 p.m. Results are available on the Onondaga County Board of Elections’ website.

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