by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
Tawanna Sampson was smiling from ear to ear as she left her polling place at Indian Fields School on Tuesday evening.
”We just made history,” Ms. Sampson said after casting her ballot for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois. “We just made history.”
An African-American woman, Ms. Sampson brought her young daughter, Mahiyah, along as she cast her vote for the first black nominee of a major party for the presidency.
”He’ll make it so people can pay their doctor bills and house bills,” Mahiyah said, as her mother beamed with pride.
Voters in South Brunswick fell in line with those statewide and nationwide, handing the new president-elect a decisive victory. President-elect Obama received about 62 percent of the vote in the township, besting rival Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, by a vote of 10,524 to 6,096. President-elect Obama also carried the state with 56.6 percent of the vote, beating Sen. McCain by a vote of 2.07 million to 1.54 million.
Of those interviewed by the South Brunswick Post as they exited the polls, almost all of those who reported voting for President-elect Obama said their chief concerns where either the economy or health care.
”The economy,” Bernard Shihar said outside the Community Center on New Road in Kendall Park. “The Republicans have had the presidency for eight years and they have wrecked this country.”
Mark Byzewski said he was open-minded about the candidates, but settled on President-elect Obama because of his tax plan.
”Taxes are a key issue,” Mr. Byzewski said at the Community Center. “Obama came across as someone who could get things turned around. McCain seemed like he was on the side of the wealthy.”
Several of those who supported President-elect Obama said that ending the war in Iraq was also an important issue.
”The war, and the war,” Michael Chiarella said outside the Community Center, explaining why he voted for President-elect Obama.
Of those who reported voting for Sen. McCain, many listed experience as a deciding factor in their vote.
”Experience is number one,” James Faus said at the Kingston First Aid building. “I have always been a Republican and I remain so.”
Others said they believed Sen. McCain would do a better job handling the war in Iraq, and the larger war on terror.
”We have to fight this war, and finish this war. McCain has experience in that,” Robert Salzano said outside the Senior Center on Route 522. “Obama has a lot of charisma, but I don’t think he is up to it.”
Some said they were concerned about Sen. Obama’s economic policies.
”I don’t want to live in a socialist country,” Andrea Schwarz said after voting for Sen. McCain at the Community Center.
High voter turnout marked the day in South Brunswick and throughout the nation as early totals indicate that President-elect Obama received the most votes in the history of the country. Cars were parked on the grass at 8:30 a.m. at the Community Center, and poll workers at several locations said that lines had already formed outside before they opened at 6 a.m.
The township experienced a voter turnout rate of approximately 68 percent, or 16,890 out of 24,802 registered voters, according to Township Clerk Barbara Nyitrai. In 2004, 15,351 of the township’s 22,147 registered voters showed up to the polls, or about 69 percent. In 2000, there were 20,466 registered voters and 13,150, or about 64 percent, cast their ballots.
Many poll workers who had worked previous elections said this was the highest turnout they had ever seen.
Howard Bellizio and Marilyn Nusbaum, who worked District No. 1 at Indian Fields School, said a quarter of all the registered voters in their district voted by 9 a.m.
Don Bergman, who worked District 25 at the high school, said they had more voters in the first half-hour than they did during the entire primary in February.
”Turnout was excellent,” he said. “They were waiting for us as soon as we opened the door.”

