Video Transcript: Liverpool locals stress the importance of Election Day
John Grady: They don’t use it… I mean 40% of people vote.
Maggie Robinson: That’s John Grady, the poll site manager at the Liverpool School District Offices. He’s retired but has been working here for six years and he wants to raise awareness in the community to increase voter turnout.
Grady: People need to be aware of how easy it is to vote.
Robinson: For retired teacher Kay Budman, politics is something she grew up talking about at the dinner table, and she says voting is critical because it has an impact on not just herself, but all generations.
Kay Budman: It affects your future, it affects your present, it affects my grandchild, it affects my mother who’s ninety, it’s important to all of us.
Robinson: It’s been a slow morning here at the Liverpool School District Offices with voters trickling in. The polls remain open until nine p.m. tonight so make sure to cast your vote if you haven’t yet.
Robinson: Maggie Robinson NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – John Grady has been the Liverpool School District poll site manager for over six years. What started out as a pastime for the retiree quickly turned into a passion for getting the community involved.
“I’m retired, and I did this for something to do and then it got very interesting to be a part of the democratic process that so many people take disadvantage of,” said Grady.
According to Grady, not enough people show up to the polls.
“They don’t use it. I mean 40% of people vote,” said a frustrated Grady.
He aknowledges that turnout is often lower in non-presidential election years and says that he personally doesn’t even know all the offices up for re-election at the local level.
“I have to admit, there were times where I didn’t pay much attention, especially in off-year elections. This year … 90% of it is all countywide with different ballots. Do I know the town supervisor? No. Do I know the [other] supervisors? No,” said Grady.
His solution to the issue of low voter turnout? Drive awareness by meeting people where they are.
“Since people don’t watch the news anymore, I don’t know if it’s billboards or the news itself or radio as public service announcements… but there’s gotta be a way of getting more out there. Social media has got to be coming… on Facebook or any of the rest of them. People have got to be aware of how easy it is,” said Grady.
Kay Budman, a retired Liverpool School District teacher who grew up talking politics at the dinner table, wants to raise awareness in the community, especially among young people. She says voting is critical because it has an impact, not just on herself, but on all generations.
“It affects your future, it affects your present, it affects my grandchild, it affects my mother who’s 90. It’s important to all of us,” Budman says.
All Onondaga county polls close at 9 p.m. tonight.