Pompey voter remembers the history behind her right to vote

Voter Sarah Curtis stands outside of Pompey Hill Fire Department. (c) 2018 Lauren Steckly

As voters bustled in and out of Pompey Hill Fire Department to cast their ballots for the midterm election, Sarah Curtis, 40, exited the building shortly before 8 a.m. with an “I voted” sticker in hand.

Curtis, a social worker at Hutchings Psychiatric Center and owner of Syracuse Moms Blog, said that the way her life is set up has allowed her to take advantage of her right to vote in every election. With a car available to her and a flexible work schedule, Curtis said having these resources makes voting easily accessible.

“It’s not that hard, at least for me,” Curtis said about voting. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Curtis said she has shared her voting tradition with her two daughters, who she used to bring to the polls with her when they were younger. Now, school prevents her from bringing them along. But she still talks with her daughters about the importance of voting with them quite frequently.

“‘At one point in time, if we were born before your great-grandmother, I would not be allowed to vote. You guys would not be allowed to vote, and so this is what we’re doing,’” she tells them.

Curtis said she is grateful for the right she has to vote, which she wouldn’t have if it weren’t for those who fought for women’s rights years ago.

“I really, sincerely appreciate everything that people went through to make it so that I can vote.”