TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

First-Time Teenage Voter Feels 'Important'

ADVERTISEMENT

By LOIS KINDLE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2008

6:45 p.m.: The Balm Civic Center had about 15 cars in the lot before polls closed. Precinct clerk John Bailiff, a 10-year veteran of the election office, says it's been much busier than normal.

A young teacher, Stacey Pena of Wimauma, said she was able to walk right in with no wait. She said her presidential vote was based on the state of the economy, war and taxes. Pena voted yes on Amendment 2.

In Wimauma, precinct deputy Roberta Rowe said she noticed there were a lot of young people voting for the first time, and when they walked out, they were excited to have voted. Traffic there has been steady all day and there haven't been any problems.

She also noticed people in other age groups voting for the first time, as well, and about a third of the voters today carried sample ballots with them.

Marco M. Azzoni voted by absentee ballot, but was there to show his 19-year-old daughter, Natalia, the experience of voting at the poll.

He voted for Obama, saying the Illinois senator would make the changes the country needs. He said he's traveled across the world and found other peoples have a much higher level of respect for Obama than McCain, and he thinks that's important.

Natalia feels like she helped. "I feel really good; I feel important," she said. She voted for Obama also, saying her overall impression of his plan for the country would work better than McCain's.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT