Marlei Martinez
Tuesday November 4, 2008
Volunteers were busy setting up shop for Election Day as the first rays of sunlight hit the treetops of Syracuse. Eight polling inspectors shuffled around Syracuse University’s Bird Library at 5:30 in the morning to prepare the 16th District polling place. Polling inspector, Chifra Sorbello, 65, Camillus, said she had no trouble getting up at four this morning.
“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh my goodness, you need to be there at 5:30 in the morning until 10 or 11 at night!’” Sorbello said. “But college kids party longer than that.”
Sorbello has three jobs- running her own business, teaching computer software and managing a real estate agency. This is her first time being a polling inspector and she said she enjoys it.
“It’s for the money, but it’s more for the excitement,” she said as she energetically handed a registration form to a student sporting pajamas and a bedhead.
Sorbello helped the first voter of the day fill out his registration form. A gold pendant dangled from her necklace as she leaned over the table to inspect the form. She said the pendant is a chai, which are two Hebrew letters meaning “life.” She said the necklace reminds her to live a long and purposeful life.
“I’ve never done this and there are a lot of things I’m checking off my list before I die,” she said.
Being a polling inspector is “a civic duty” according to Sorbello, a duty that she can now check off her of list of life goals.
Volunteers were busy setting up shop for Election Day as the first rays of sunlight hit the treetops of Syracuse. Eight polling inspectors shuffled around Syracuse University’s Bird Library at 5:30 in the morning to prepare the 16th District polling place. Polling inspector, Chifra Sorbello, 65, Camillus, said she had no trouble getting up at four this morning.
“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh my goodness, you need to be there at 5:30 in the morning until 10 or 11 at night!’” Sorbello said. “But college kids party longer than that.”
Sorbello has three jobs- running her own business, teaching computer software and managing a real estate agency. This is her first time being a polling inspector and she said she enjoys it.
“It’s for the money, but it’s more for the excitement,” she said as she energetically handed a registration form to a student sporting pajamas and a bedhead.
Sorbello helped the first voter of the day fill out his registration form. A gold pendant dangled from her necklace as she leaned over the table to inspect the form. She said the pendant is a chai, which are two Hebrew letters meaning “life.” She said the necklace reminds her to live a long and purposeful life.
“I’ve never done this and there are a lot of things I’m checking off my list before I die,” she said.
Being a polling inspector is “a civic duty” according to Sorbello, a duty that she can now check off her of list of life goals.
No comments:
Post a Comment