With elections and politics always a topic of great discussion, the one group of people that don't seem to get any mention are the election inspectors.

These are the people who sit with those large books at voting places and are trained to verify the registration of every person who comes in to vote.

Nassau County hopes to change that. At a special reception on Aug. 4 in Mineola, more than 300 inspectors were honored by the Nassau County Board of Elections for their continuous service.

In attendance at the reception were all those who have served during elections for at least 25 years, and six women who served over 50 years. Making that list were Helen Curtin and Martha Worrell of Levittown, Frances Hartell of Great Neck, Helen Knight of Greenvale, Dorothy Rabas of Bethpage and Anne M. Walsh of Floral Park. Along with certificates of appreciation, they received a dozen roses.

This is the first time for the event. It started when officials looked at their rolls and noticed that many inspectors had been working there for decades with little or no gratitude.

"We thought it would be nice if we did something for them," Joe Galante, Democratic deputy commissioner of elections said. "They don't get recognized for their work. We thought it was a good idea."

But the final push came from Florence Kent from Hempstead, who has been an inspector for over 44 years. She read a letter she wrote to the board, which documented the hardships and tribulations she and her fellow inspectors faced.

"Rain, snow, lights gone out, we used candles until the electric went on again," she said. "They are all good memories, of the past and those to come."

Despite the continuous support by the honorees, the board has been plagued by the growing problem of inspector shortages, due to both members of households working full time. The board tries to hire those with less economic obligations, like students and retirees. The inspectors are compensated for the day, receiving $150 for their services. That's up from $100 only a year ago.

Present at the celebration were Commissioners Barbara Patton (D) and John DeGrace (R). Among those honored was Frances Gniatkowski of Mineola, who started as a temp in 1965, and has been an inspector at the Jackson Avenue School since 1967. She remembers when the pay was only $25 for the day, which lasted from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

"It was a long day," she said. "And we worked hard."

But now with all the latest changes, like the use of digital books to replace the buff cards and black ledgers that contain the voters' names, Gniatkowski won't be leaving anytime soon. "I'll work as long as my heart holds up," she said. "The board is an interesting place to work."