April 24, 2012 at 7:09 PM

It’s one thing to go vote, but it’s another to dedicate an entire day to be at the polling places.

Student Anthony Shelton, an election inspector for the State College Municipal Building , said his position has given him a “cool” opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes voting process.

Shelton (junior-finance) said there is a lot of double- and triple-checking and getting to know each policy and new law so he can help others vote.

Shelton said one of the most rewarding parts of his position is seeing those with disabilities vote.

“Most of the time, college students don’t care enough to come in,” he said. “But the disabled make the time to come out and vote.”

Shelton was elected to his position in 2008, and the first election he worked was the midterm in 2010. He said the general election will be his last time working in Centre County, as he will graduate and move out of State College.

Although he hasn’t taken any political science classes, it’s cool how much the individual vote means, he said. The one aspect that he said he doesn’t like is the long hours on Election Day.

Shelton was at the municipal building at 6 a.m. and won’t leave until 10:30 tonight, when all the votes are counted and voting stations are packed away until November. But Shelton encourages people to go out and vote.

“There is really apathy with students,” he said. “They don’t realize how much politics affects them, from appropriations to the how you drive to the drinking age.”