Moise Laub, P.E.A.C.E., Inc.'s new poll worker, felt a push in the past few years to get involved with local politics. (c) 2017 April Rink
Did Snowflakes Drive Away Voters in Syracuse?
By April Rink
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Democracy in Action) – There are some new faces mixed into the returning crowd at the P.E.A.C.E. Inc.’s Sumner Head Start polling place this year. While the polling place has received a fairly steady flow of voters for an off-year election, some are still concerned about low voter turnout.
P.E.A.C.E. Inc., 215 Basset St., opens its doors another year as a polling place on election day. (c) 2017 April Rink
Carol Simson, a former early childhood teacher at the school, said she sees a big issue in people not voting. She taught school for 45 years and used to bring her students to the gymnasium during the school day to see the polling area.
“We all [would get] into the machine. Because I think kids at a young age need to know so that people vote,” she said.
Simson has never missed voting on an election day. She said it’s important to vote in this off-year election, especially for women, because of the current presidential administration. “With the pompous buffoon we have in office right now, I think if we don’t [vote] we’re in big trouble,” Simson said.
Moise Laub, 29, is a new poll worker this year. He understands why some people may not come out to vote but would like to help change that.
Moise Laub, P.E.A.C.E. Inc.’s new poll worker, felt a push in the past few years to get involved with local politics. (c) 2017 April Rink
“People should have open access to voting. It shouldn’t be this intimidating process. I think the takeaway is that it’s somebody’s freedom that was fought for,” he said.
Laub wanted to get involved to learn more about local politics because he is currently studying humanities at Onondaga Community College. He hopes to study international relations at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
A less complex theory of why voter turnout might be low this year is the weather. One returning poll worker suggested some people might have seen the snow this morning and thought to hold off on voting until later this evening or put it off completely.
