Voting is 'Crucial,' Pine Brook Voter Says

Continuing power outages throughout Montville and parts of Pine Brook did not seem to stop voters from heading to the polls Tuesday morning.

Particularly at the Pine Brook firehouse polling location, a steady stream of voters pulled in throughout the morning hours. Karen Danko brought her daughter and neighbors' daughter to the polls with her, as they were out of school still on Tuesday because of continuing power outages from Tropical Storm Sandy.

"This is a huge election, it means the difference between a bright future and a dismal future," Danko said.

Danko said she did have power restored in her own home and that she felt it was important to come out to vote.

"We need to vote for a new president," she said.

Her daughter, Pamela Danko, 14, was disappointed she was not old enough to vote yet but said she plans to choose a candidate in the next presidential election.

"I feel like it's an honor to be able to vote," she said. "I want to make a difference. Every vote counts."

M. Elaine Anastasiou, a 65-year-old Pine Brook resident, agreed that every vote counts and said that voters have the power to impose change.

"It's a right and a privilege and you hope that you can affect policy," she said.

Anastasiou said she felt limited in her options for a presidential candidate this season. She felt that voters had to choose between one candidate who platformed on fiscal responsibility more and the other, whose social issue values may have been more in line with their own.

"[Voters] want to be fiscally responsible, but socially, we're liberal and it seemed like no party kind of grasped that," she said.

During the next presidential election, Anastasiou said she would like to see a third party candidate that has a strong chance at contending and would be able to capture at least 40 percent of the vote.

"Maybe the Libertarian Party needs to have some stronger candidates," she said.

Larry Covello, 59, of Pine Brook, said he thinks America has changed over the past several decades and that we have become a "culture of greed."

"There's a culture of greed but most people can't stop to think we're part of that greed," he said.

Covello said he "used to vote for the person, not the party," and that, in his opinion, Republican party leaders are now "right-wing fascists."

He also believes in being fiscally responsible and that "I have an obligation to the people around me."

"I believe in reasonable government, not spending money you don't have," he said.

On a local level, Covello said there seems to be less corruption. He said he was not as informed about township committee candidates as he was presidential candidates. But Adam Hoffman, 28, said he felt the local elections are what matter most.

"Most important, this Election Day, is to vote for state and town issues," he said. "For local matters, it's crucial and vital."

Hoffman said he informed himself about the local candidates by reading about their platforms on the Internet and in mailers they distributed. Hoffman, a history teacher, was also interested in the school board election, but said he was disappointed that this year, all incumbents were running uncontested.

Hoffman was particularly concerned with voting for the second public question on the ballot, which asked voters if they agreed with contributions being taken from Supreme Court Justices' and Superior Court Judges' salaries and benefits.

"Them not having to pay anything, they're state employees, it's ridiculous," he said.

Is it important to vote? Why or why not? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Read all Montville Patch election coverage here.