Syracuse resident Samuel Bovalino has been voting in the presidential election since 1940, with Tuesday marking the 21st time the 104-year-old cast his ballot.
The year 1940 was a historic election year, where Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president to sit for a third term in office, beating Republican businessman Wendell Willkie.
Now, Bovalino has returned to the polls for a tough election cycle. “I do believe in voting,” Bovalino told CNY Central. “It is a wonderful thing and very important that you do it every time.”
He was picked up and taken to his polling station, where he didn’t have to wear a face mask to vote in-person, due to medical reasons. The outlet reports he flaunted his “I Voted” sticker and flashed a big smile after he submitted his ballot.
Bovalino shared that his favorite president was John F. Kennedy, but kept his vote for this year’s election to himself. “It’s hard for me to say anything bad about anyone,” he said. “I let my vote speak to that.”
The winner of the presidential election hasn’t yet been decided, with a handful of states still counting mail-in ballots.
