Voters express worry about country’s direction
It was sunny Tuesday for Election Day, but voters at two Butler County poll locations say dark clouds are gathering for the nation.
“The reason is our country,” said Carol Collins of Concord Township when asked why she was voting. Her polling place is at Concord Presbyterian Church.
“Everything is falling apart,” Collins said. “The gas pipeline, they shut it down, the economy, the gas prices. You can’t turn on the TV and see anything but bad news.”
“I’m voting for change,” said Tina Villaire, also of Concord Township. “We’re really not going in a good direction; I don’t know how else to put that.”
Township residents Larry and Barb Stocklin said the issues for this election were inflation and the economy, and they both agreed the country needs to be going in a different direction.
The political process itself needs to be overhauled, said Ward Stakem, after voting at Herman Fire Hall.
“The whole process needs to be looked at when you have millionaires on every ticket. There has to be a way to straighten it out,” Stakem said.
Melvin Protzman, of Summit Township, also would like to see a different type of candidate on the ballot.
“I want for people in there to have sense; that’s what I would like to see. I don’t know how else to put it,” he said.
Villaire said, “I think people are losing hope in our voting system. People are starting not to believe in it any more.”
Gloria Lamont, of Concord Township, said of the governor’s race, “To be truthful, both (candidates) are liars. It makes it hard to vote for somebody. That’s rough, that really was.”
“You just have to hope for the best; it can’t get any worse. Well, yes it could,” Lamont said.
Jeff Steiner, of Concord Township, said that even though he is a regular voter, this was a special election for him.
“I’ve been following the election, and I wanted to make sure (Doug) Mastriano (Republican candidate for governor) doesn’t get in there. He’s a danger,” Steiner said.
A.J. Bortman, of Summit Township, said John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, was what brought him out to vote.
“I couldn't vote for Fetterman. That’s all; I can’t,” Bortman said.
Barbara Malis, of Summit Township, said a chance to vote for Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for governor, brought her to the polls Tuesday.
“I’m a supporter of Shapiro,” Malis said. “He seemed to do a good job as attorney general. The other one is way too wild for my tastes.”
The issues for Harry Boozel, of Concord Township, are “Inflation, prices and, well, the economy for one, and for myself, too much government involvement.”
It wasn’t just who to vote for but how they voted that elicited strong opinions for voters Tuesday.
The county’s use of paper ballots for this election drew praise from some voters and criticism from others.
Barb Stocklin said Tuesday’s voting using the paper ballots was the easiest process she had been through.
“I prefer the paper ballots. Machines in the past have been a little hard to maneuver,” she said.
Gabriel Ford, of Summit Township, said, “I prefer the old punch-out ballots. I do not like the computerized balloting. Honestly, they are not trustworthy. ”
Ford said punch-out ballots were used for years, and voters got a receipt when a piece of the ballot was torn off.
“I’d trust these over any computer,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunity for people to violate the system.”
Malis welcomed the paper ballots for a different reason.
“This was so much easier. Everything was in black and white,” Malis said. “I don’t even own a computer. With those electrical things, someone had to show me how to do it. The paper ballots are easy-peasy.”
“What I would like to see, though,” Villaire said, “I would like to see people show identification to vote. I’d like to see the machines back; I don't like the paper ballots.”
Lorraine McDevitt, 94, of Summit Township, said she makes it a point to vote in every election.
“I mean, look at all the countries where you can’t do that,” she said.
Many residents in the southwestern corner of the county had their eyes on the state-level races. A few mentioned national economic conditions as their biggest concerns for this election.
Thomas and Tonia Kissel, of Adams Township, said they voted straight-ticket Republican due to concerns about taxes and inflation. The two were particularly interested in Dr. Mehmet Oz’s Senate campaign.
“High gas taxes, food going up, and all the increases to everything ... we drove to Florida a month ago, and (gas) was as much as a dollar cheaper per gallon,” Thomas said. “Cigarettes, three or four dollars a pack cheaper, because they added all that tax on.”
Dawn Bush, of Adams, said the economy was a particularly large concern, and added that she focuses primarily on the statewide races.
“I think we need change in the Senate and the House of Representatives to make a better balance of power,” Bush said.
Adalberto Toledo, of Cranberry Township, said that economic issues were particularly impactful on the middle class at the moment.
“The middle class is hard-pressed because of the inflation,” Toledo said.
At the Adams polling location, Kristen Canale said she was most interested in the race for governor and for Senate.
“I think the biggest issue for me, in particular, was women’s health access and our rights,” Canale said. “That was the No. 1 reason for sure.”
Nancy Petrozelle, of Cranberry, named inflation, gas prices and food prices as points of concern.
“It’s out of control,” Petrozelle said. She added that the Senate race was most important to her.
Stephanie Bearden, a teacher from Cranberry, noted that education was an important issue to her.
“Women’s rights and the economy, those are big things,” Bearden said. “The governor and Senate were definitely important.”
