OCEAN COUNTY – No one needs to remind you that it is election season. There are signs, banners and flags everywhere and you’d be hard pressed to take a drive without spotting a vehicle with a political bumper sticker or some messages posted on car windows.
Early voting had those eligible coming out in droves to county libraries and you didn’t have to choose your local library if you saw the line was too long.
Many voted early for the first time and Jersey Shore Online talked to a number of random voters who took advantage of this option. While we did not poll them on who they voted for we did ask what their views were concerning this presidential election period and how they felt about all the signage, emotions, debates, and overall feeling this time around as we head toward Election Day on November 5.
Meghan Nicotra was enjoying the screening of the Amityville Horror at the Bishop building next to the Toms River Library. She remarked, “I’m independent and I feel both candidates stink. I feel there is a lot of emotion running high on both sides.”
“Since I’ve been able to vote I have voted every year. This is the most tense I’ve ever seen it,” she added.
When asked about some of the explicit campaign signage that is out in public she noted, “it is not great, I mean I’ve seen signs, bumper stickers some of the verbiage on it is not great.”
Jeff Dingsor of Toms River voted early as well. “It is getting nasty which doesn’t bother me. Some people say you can’t have all that nastiness but it is all part of it. There used to be fist fights on the congress floor back in the day.”
“I vote every year. The signage doesn’t bother me. I ran for the Board of Education a few years ago and my signs were out for a while and I will probably run for council when the next cycle comes up so we’ll have plenty of signs out.”
Joe and Helen Roventini of Berkeley Township said they vote every year and they did so early this election.
“I find it much more bitter this year,” Joe Roventini said.
Helen Roventini added, “no issues are being spoken about.”
“It’s all personalities which seem to be the biggest things,” Joe Roventini agreed.
As to the signage and campaign promotions, Helen Roventini said, “too much, too many I think.”
Her husband responded, “I think people have the right to express what they want to say. You have to do it with some kind of taste. You have the right to feel how you feel and express it that is why we are Americans.”
“It’s a whirlwind,” Dalid Castillo said describing this year’s election cycle. She votes each year and decided to vote early this year with the option available to her. “I’ve been waiting for this time for a while so and it is much needed change. This is my first time for early voting.”
“I don’t mind it. It is freedom of speech,” she said concerning the campaign promotions employed for the presidential race,” Castillo added.
Vera Lamberti of Seaside Park is praying for her candidate’s victory on Election Day feeling her choice will help the economy more than the other candidate. “It is good and bad,” she said regarding this year’s campaign season and both candidates.
She had no issues with the campaign materials she has seen on signs and vehicles. “It’s okay. I don’t mind that.”
When asked if she voted regularly, Lamberti said, “no, not every year. I will vote this year on election day.”
“I understand free speech but the media has gone way overboard as far as propaganda and things like that. The (mainstream) media are horrible and it’s not fair. People who aren’t educated and they vote on emotions,” said Kevin of Manchester, who declined to provide his last name fearing political retaliation.
He noted that people vote because they don’t like a given candidate without reviewing their policies.
“I don’t pay much attention to the signs other than seeing when I go into a community whether they have more Trump or Harris signs and it looks pretty close,” he said,
“I went to vote at my town library and the line was three times longer than this so I said I’ll drive over here. This is my first time doing early voting. Usually, I wait to election day,” he added.
“It is unfortunate what is happening in politics. It is a travesty what has happened. It is nasty politics,” Kevin noted. He referenced President Joe Biden stepping down from the race and Kamala Harris replacing him and the assassination attempts towards Donald Trump, events of which have made this year’s campaign season quite unique.
