February 28 was a cold windy day, but when Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas stepped inside Granby’s Town Hall Meeting Room, everything brightened up. The charming and friendly government official immediately began chatting with guests and posing for photos.
Thomas was in Granby to conduct a poll worker appreciation day. At a meeting in Greenwich some time ago, an attendee remarked, “Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some way to honor the many hard-working poll workers across the state?” Thomas replied, “I can do that!” and went about setting up appreciation events in all Connecticut towns.
After remarks by Senator John Kissel and First Selectman Mark Fiorentino, Thomas addressed the crowd. She stressed the importance of voting as one of the foundations of democracy, and how important all the volunteer poll workers are to the process. Her intelligence, humor and passion for her job came through loud and clear.
Certificates were presented to poll workers who have been on the job for a minimum of 20 years. Terri-Ann Hahn was honored for her 20+ years of service as head moderator. It was noted that she is frequently finishing up after an election at 2 or 3 a.m. Patty Sansone was honored for her 37 years of service, during which she has trained every new poll worker. Finally, Laura Wolfe was honored for her 28 years of service as a Registrar.
Refreshments followed the presentations. The vivacious Thomas continued to chat and pose for photos until her retinue suggested it was time to move on to her next event.