Nassau County executive candidate Seth Koslow votes in Merrick, as voters cite national concerns

Nassau County executive candidate Seth Koslow cast his ballot Tuesday at the Community Presbyterian Church in Merrick.

Koslow, a Democratic county legislator, was joined by his wife and three children. After voting, he told reporters he was feeling positive about his campaign against incumbent Bruce Blakeman.

Koslow said he put the time in and "as a coach, that's what I expect from my players and that's what I did here, my team really worked hard."

Merrick residents Paulette Mendelson and her neighbor Jerilyn Weil both cited concerns over the state of the country as factors in voting.

"As a Jew, I'm terrified of not only what's going on in the world, but in the country," Mendelson said.

 Weil said the country feels more like a monarchy than a democracy.

"The most democratic thing I can do is vote," she said. "And as women ... our ancestors, our predecessors, fought for the right to vote, so it's very very important to me to exercise my political right to vote."

As for local politics, Weil said, "I don't have any strong feeling for a change in the state of Nassau County right now." She said the current administration has shown support for issues important to her, such as protecting Jewish people.

Both women identified as senior citizens but declined to give their ages.

By Deborah S. Morris

deborah.morris@newsday.comdsvmorris

Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.