Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Election worker: ‘People’ the best part of the job


By KELLY LORELLI-SMITH
Correspondent

This is Beverley Roman’s first presidential election as an election official—and she loves it.

Roman said the best part of being an election official for Keansburg’s District No. 2 is “meeting the people.”

There are 1,109 voters in District No. 2, which votes at the Newpoint Comfort Fire Company, on Carr Ave. The 871 voters from District No. 6 also vote at Newpoint Comfort.

“It’s been a lot of fun this year,” Roman said. She noted that voter turnout has been especially high this year, with about 30 percent of District No. 2’s voters casting their ballot by 1 p.m.

This year was especially exciting for Roman, who has lived in Keansburg for 30 years. But, because she was born in Canada, it was necessary for her to reapply for U.S. citizenship after new restrictions on immigrants following 2001.

Consequently, Roman became a U.S. citizen for the second time just last year. “It’s really great to be taking part in this election,” she said.

Roman works for an area retailer and has been volunteering as an election official for the past four years. She is also a grandmother to five grandkids and a great-grandmother to one.

“This election is a wonderful chance for them to get to learn about the American system of government,” she said.

Roman noted that, this year, younger voters have been a big part of the large voter turnout.

Roman said she loves the people she works with at the district and that fun is definitely a part of the job. Yet, in a larger sense, she is just glad to be a part of what has turned out to be a very special election season in American history.

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