Portable generator helps make vote happen in Bellmore

Light bulbs on a long yellow electrical cord connected to a portable generator welcomed voters outside the polling site at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore — a sign the building has been without power since Sandy hit.

A generator also lit the school’s hallways leading to the voting area and powered the optical ballot scanners. Inside the voting area in the cafeteria, light bulbs hung above voters as they cast their ballots. The cafeteria’s several large windows let daylight inside to make it easier to see the ballots and voters’ lists.

“It’s harder to see in there because the lights are very dim,” said Martina Jones, of Bellmore, a nurse, who said she voted for President Barack Obama. “The lines are not too long now, but I am anticipating later on would be slow and a problem.”

Frank Ventrone, 73, of Bellmore, a truck driver, said poll workers were slow but the lack of electricity in the facility did not interrupt the voting process. The registered conservative said the economy and the war in Afghanistan were his main concerns.

“It’s time to bring our young men and women home,” Ventrone said.
Chris Scheno, 43, of Bellmore, an optometrist, said voting at the site without power was a smooth process, even though the lights were dim. Scheno said he voted for Republican candidates, including Mitt Romney, because Scheno is a small-business owner and believes they can help improve the economy.

“I had to plan ahead how I would come vote,” said Scheno, citing the gas shortage. He is staying in Seaford with his mother because he has no power at his home. “I took advantage of being out to run other errands.”

Before heading to the polling place, Carl Fisher, 64, of Bellmore, waited on a gas station line for an hour to fill up, so he could travel to the school. Fisher said he is temporarily staying in North Merrick because he has no power.

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“I’m voting Democrat all across,” said Fisher, a retired teacher. “How can any women vote for Romney or a party who is trying to tell them what to do with their own bodies?”