People in gymnasium standing and sitting.

Poll workers hard at work assisting voters on election day at the Solvay-Geddes Community Youth Center (c) 2021 Alex Malanoski.

Western Suburbs

Solvay Poll Workers Go the Extra Mile for Democracy

By Alex Malanoski

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Election Day Polling Place: Solvay-Geddes Community Youth Center

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Solvay Poll Workers Patricia Blanchard and Carl Libertone have served on Election Day for decades and both individuals encourage Central New Yorkers to get out and vote.

Alex Malanoski: For most Central New Yorkers, voting on Election Day is as easy as filling in some circles and placing their ballot into an electronic scanner. Yet, for poll workers at the Solvay-Geddes Community Youth Center, it’s an all-day affair. Poll inspector Patricia Blanchard spends the day checking in voters and printing ballot slips. Blanchard is a resident of the Town of Geddes and says the opportunity to help her neighbors makes the long day worthwhile.

Patricia Blanchard: “I’ve done it for over 30 years. It’s just good civic duty. I enjoy it, interfacing with the people.”

Malanoski: 70-year-old Carl Libertone works the front desk at the community center and is the Chairman of the Village of Solvay Zoning and Planning Board. He says it’s important voting runs smoothly so decisions can be made on local issues.

Carl Libertone: “There’s been some infighting for quite a while. Hopefully this election will help it out a little bit.”

Malanoski: As a former teacher and lifelong resident of Solvay, Libertone wants residents to know that every vote matters.

Libertone: “It’s important especially in today’s age, what’s going on in the world, what’s going on in our country, that people come out and give out their voice or have their voice heard.”

Malanoski: Polls stay open until nine this evening throughout Central New York. For Democracy in Action, I’m Alex Malanoski.

SOLVAY, N.Y. (DiA) – It’s Election Day across the country and voters everywhere are hitting the polls. For most people, voting is as easy as filling in a few circles and placing their ballot into an electronic scanner. Yet, for poll workers here in Central New York at the Solvay-Geddes Community Youth Center, it’s an all-day affair.

Patricia Blanchard, a poll inspector, arrived to the polling site at 4:30 a.m. She will spend the day checking voters in and printing out ballot slips. Blanchard is a resident of the Town of Geddes and said the opportunity to help her neighbors makes the long day worthwhile.

“I’ve done it for over 30 years. It’s just good civic duty,” Blanchard said. “I enjoy it, interfacing with the people.”

Carl Libertone, a 70-year-old front desk worker at the community center and Chairman of the Village of Solvay Zoning and Planning Board, said it’s important voting runs smoothly so decisions can be made on local issues involving the controversial mayor of the Village of Solvay.

“There’s been some infighting for quite a while,” Libertone said. “Hopefully this election will help it out a little bit.”

As a former teacher and lifelong resident of Solvay, Libertone said he wants residents to know that every vote matters.

“It’s important especially in today’s age, what’s going on in the world, what’s going on in our country, that people come out and give out their voice or have their voice heard,” Libertone said.

Polls stay open until 9 p.m. throughout Central New York. For Democracy in Action, I’m Alex Malanoski.

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