Voters, the really young and not-so-young

7:15 a.m. -- Golden Springs Community Center.

One of the joys of democracy (yes, I'm a civics nerd) comes on Election Day when I vote with my little ones. At the Golden Springs polling place, where voters would brave a nuclear strike to cast their ballots, my boy and girl are greeted this election morn by the same poll workers who've been supervising elections since I cast my first Calhoun County ballot in 1992. Of course, the 7-year-old proceeded to read every name I voted for, so I believe the idea of secret, anonymous voting wasn't quite exercised by our trio. Not to be outdone, his sister repeated his monologue in a pitch that, if employed properly, could peel paint.

Turnout, despite a miserable, cold rain, was brisk. The tables were full, a few hurried folks simply propped themselves against a wall with their ballots and marked away.

If Bob's YMCA workout crew was tired of ads at 5 this morning, the landscape in front of the Golden Springs polling place had a phalanxe of signs that did honor to the printing industry. Makes you wonder who'll have to get out in the soggy night to take up all those placards....