Here’s what Tri-Town voters had to say on Election Day

Nov 3, 2020

Marion Democratic Committee Chair Sharon Matzek sat at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center entrance with Biden and Ed Markey signs across from veterans Dale Jones and Pete Kelly, both brandishing Trump memorabilia.

Voters from across Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester came out in droves to polling places on a cold and windy Nov. 3 election day for a presidential race which has already seen accelerated turnout from in-person and mail-in early voting.

“In Marion, everybody waves,” Matzek said. “It doesn’t matter because they’re friendly.” 

Matzek was equipped with doughnuts for voters, a lawn chair and a blanket to brave the cold weather. 

Matzek voted early using the Marion ballot drop box and said she spent a lot of time doing voter outreach in swing states like Georgia and Pennsylvania.

“I must’ve sent 2,500 text messages to Pennsylvania,” she said. 

Matzek, who is 76, said “it’s a very important election.” She added that she’s seen quite a few in her lifetime. 

Kelly, an amputee, leaned on crutches in a Make America Great Again hat with a piece of paper that read, “Veterans for Trump” taped to his chest. Jones stood beside him, wielding a “Trump 2020. No more bull----” sign.

Kelly lauded Trump for his hard stances on issues like immigration, crime and bias in the media. He said he supported Trump so future presidents won’t have to face things like media bias, what he called unwarranted impeachment, and campaign surveillance.

Kelly also said he thought President Trump has done a great job with veterans affairs. 

“I go into the VA and they treat me like I was him,” Kelly said. 

Jones agreed with Kelly, and added that “I wouldn’t want anybody in this town to think I’m with the corrupt Biden family.” 

In Mattapoisett, residents stood out in the wind and cold on a line which snaked around Old Hammondtown School, waiting to cast their ballots in the election. 

“There was a lot of noise around this one, so we definitely had to participate,” said Rob Tetrault of Mattapoisett. 

He was at the front of the line to get into the polling place, but said it only took about 15 minutes to get inside. 

Despite a strong showing of early voters in the town, Mattapoisett was set up with plenty of voting booths and space for voters to maintain social distance. 

“We always vote in person,” Tetrault said of him and his family. 

Inside the polling place, Mattapoisett residents were directed toward voting booths separated alphabetically by address. 

Residents were let in one by one in order to keep an appropriate number of voters inside the building and maintain social distance. 

In Rochester, a small group of cars gathered in support of President Trump in a parking lot next to the Rochester Senior Center. 

Richard Desroisers came out from Fairhaven after he voted earlier in the morning. 

“People will walk through broken glass and fire just to vote today,” he said. 

Desroisers was joined by a pair in a car clad in Trump and pro-law enforcement flags who declined to be interviewed. 

But even taking such an earnest stance in favor of the president, he said he sees about 75% of passersby honking their horns in support, and only about 25% who he said give negative feedback like waving obscene gestures. 

Just down the street from the Rochester Senior Center, Town Water Commissioner Fred Underhill stood brandishing a Trump/Pence 2020 sign. He said he voted early in the morning before posting up to support Trump. 

“I try to do it when it’s an important election,” he said.