Poll workers dedicate long hours – and many years – for elections

By Max Robinette
mrobinette@yourmvi.com
Like winter brings snow and spring brings rain, every voting season poll workers bring us our elections.
With polls open across Pennsylvania 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Tuesday’s primary elections, hundreds of poll workers across the state worked long hours to facilitate our old institution.
For some, it was their first time. Some have worked the polls for decades and for others still, their families have worked the polls for generations.
At the Elks Lodge in Monongahela, Karie Bavuso and her mother Melanie Bavuso have enabled voters to cast their ballots for years.
“I started through my mom,” Karie said. “We’ve come to work polls together every year for a long time. My grandma also used to work the polls. It’s been a family tradition of sorts.”
In Washington County, election workers learned how to operate new ballot machines and teach voters the new system.
Poll workers Linda Dudzik, Sarah O’Brien and Danna Walters-Miller said it took time to come around to the new machines
“I like the new system,” O’Brien said. “I miss the old ways, but this works better. I see the benefits – the technology is only going to keep rolling on forward.”

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