MetroNews Decision 2022: The oldest, longest serving poll workers in W.Va.

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Thousands of poll workers across West Virginia keep our elections running smoothly year after year.

MetroNews caught up with some of the oldest, longest serving poll workers in the state including Becky Carvillano, 79, of Marion County.

Becky Carvillano

“I just enjoy doing it to see people and feel like I’m helping the community,” she said.

Carvillano, who works at the Marion County Courthouse in Fairmont, has been a poll worker for the last 40 years. She said lot has changed within the election process since she started volunteering her time.

“We first started with paper ballots. I can remember one election I did not get home until 4:30 in the morning because it was such a big election and we had to hand count everything,” she said.

With the introduction of electronic voting machines, she said it has made the process easier. Cindy Irons, 75, also from Marion County, agrees. She’s been a poll worker for the last 18 years.

“Now the computerized is so much better. We can get reports done earlier,” Irons said.

Irons said advanced technology is not the only thing that has helped her job. She said expanded early voting opportunities have also been key. She works as the commissioner messenger of the White Hall satellite early voting location.

“I think for a general midterm election, we’re doing quite well,” Irons said last week. “People seem to be concerned about what’s happening and want to make a change.”

The biggest challenge through the years has been the ongoing poll worker shortage, Irons said.

“There’s a lot of people that like to do early voting. You have to devote those 10 hours to it and then you’re working 10 hours a day and the pay isn’t that great, but I think more people do it because it’s their civic duty and want to do it,” she said.

Another obstacle Irons and Carvillano faced over the years was the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everybody was concerned an we were very careful to sterilize everything after everybody voted. We provided masks and we voted with Q-tips, so they didn’t have to touch the screen,” Irons recalled.

Both have witnessed some historic races over the years.

Cindy Irons

“The presidential elections have been very exciting and the ones with the governors,” Carvilano said. “All the seats are important, but those seem to be more important.”

Irons said she’s learned a lot since becoming a poll worker. She believes keeping satellite locations open like the one in White Hall will continue to increase voter turnout in the future. She has no plans to leave her post anytime soon.

“I do it because I feel it’s my civic duty to do this and I love people. It’s a way to see the people you’ve grown up with,” she said.

Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and close at 7:30 p.m.

MetroNews will provide live, continuous coverage of the election starting at 7:06 election night and results will be posted in real time at wvmetronews.com.





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