ZELIENOPLE - A lot has changed since 1929.

From the price of bread and gas to the popular forms of media, Dorothy Schweingruber has seen it all.

But when she arrived at her local polling place this morning, she kept at least one thing constant: She voted.

Casting her first ballot in 1929, Schweingruber, 96, has voted in every election since then and every presidential election since 1932.

At first, just placing a checkmark next to her pick, Schweingruber has watch

ed

ballots evolve from slips of paper to levers, and from levers to the infamous butterfly ballots and their hanging chads.

To her, though, voting in her 19th consecutive presidential election isn't a feat: It's natural.

"That's the thing to do. You vote," she said. "It's not only a privilege, it's your duty."

While ballots have changed, Schweingruber said the nature of presidential elections has not.

As today's election has split the country almost perfectly in half, Schweingruber said she's watched elections divide the country and even cause wedding cancellations - all because of political arguments.

While Schweingruber said politics has always been partisan, she's not certain if the lines have ever been drawn as clearly as they are today, or if they were ever as nasty. "I just hope that when it's all over, the firemen come out with their hoses to wash off all of the mud," she said.

"I'll be glad when it's over," she added.

Her interest spurred by a seventh grade homework assignment, Schweingruber took an early interest in politics.

The class assignment, to ask parents of their party affiliation and read the editorial pages of the newspaper, became a life-long activity.

Even today, Schweingruber reads newspapers from front to back and magazines from cover to cover, a practice that's rubbed off on her children and grandchildren, who also know the importance of voting.

Marie Grant, Schweingruber's daughter, said her 9- and 6-year-old children have taken such an interest in the election that they've watched the debates and talked about the issues.

Both support Sen. John Kerry, but for different reasons. One child said Kerry would be better for the environment; the other chose him because of his position on education.

No matter who they support, Schweingruber said she's just happy they're interested.

"I feel very gratified that they are that interested in their country and what's going on," she said.

Unlike her grandchildren though, Schweingruber won't say who she's voting for. In fact, she doesn't like to mention who she's voted for in the past or what party she affiliates with.

And if you're a pollster, don't bother to call. She'll hang up on you.

"It's your own private business," she said.

But she will say this: In 75 years of voting, she's never voted straight party. Instead, she says she votes for the person.

She'll also admit she once voted for a third-party candidate, John Anderson, in 1980. Unlike many other third-party candidates, though, Schweingruber believed he had a chance to win the race.

In this tight race, however, you won't hear her touting either of the major parties.

Instead, she'll just tell you to vote.

"It's important to vote," she said. "But know what you're voting for."