100-year-old Butler resident John Mahler, right, stands for the Pledge of Allegiance with other inductees into the Voter Hall of Fame at the Tanglewood Center June 21.

Their votes might have been secret, but 89 Butler County citizens' devotion to their civic duty brought them a measure of fame and a certificate.

The voters were acknowledged in a ceremony and reception ushering them into the Voter Hall of Fame June 21 at the Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Ave. Lyndora.

Administered by the Pa. Department of State's Elections Bureau, the Voter Hall of Fame was established to acknowledge and honor Pennsylvanians who have voted in every November election for at least 50 consecutive years.

The Hall of Fame ceremony was a familiar one to John Mahler, 100, of Center Township. He attended his first Hall of Fame event 25 years ago.

Mahler said he's voted in every election for the last 79 years.

Asked why he's filled out so many ballots over so many years, Mahler said, “I say it's (voting) more of an obligation. If you have an interest in the country, you should vote for the officials you want in there, even if it turns out they are not who they say they are. It's a privilege to vote.”

This is an excerpt from a story that appears in Friday's Butler Eagle.