HONESDALE, Pa. — County officials held a special ceremony to recognize 40 Wayne County citizens who have voted in November elections for 50 consecutive years.
Twenty of them were on hand to be presented with a certificate from the state, inducting them into the Pennsylvania Voter Hall of Fame."
It's the place where you are absolutely equal with every other voter, and where your say counts, just as much as theirs," Robert Simons said.
Last year, there was no ceremony due to the pandemic.
Wayne County Director of Elections Cindy Furman says despite combining two years of inductees, it's still one of the largest groups to represent the county.
"Normally, we have six to eight people, maybe. We've had 12 another year, but this year so you're averaging 20 per year, and that's just quite an honor," Furman said.
This year's group of inductees included voters who were among the first to vote when they turned 18 in 1971, including Debra Fulmer. She says her father was a county prothonotary and remembers one very close election, and that's why she continues to vote every Election Day.
"He lost an election by 52 votes. So every vote counts just in Wayne County or the nation. It counts," Debra said.
Those inducted in the ceremony said they would get to the polls rain, shine, sleet, or snow over the last 50 years, but now it's a little easier to vote than it used to be.
"You can vote at home, and we have voted the last two times at home, so the weather isn't even a problem anymore," Margaret Simons said.
"90 percent of the people that were here today just go to the polls. It's an event to go and show that they're voting, and they take their grandchildren with them and say, here, this is what we do. We're Americans. We vote," Furman said.
These folks say they will return to the polls to vote on November 2.