It's encouraging to see the number of people out today either voting or engaged in the civic discourse.

When I was at my polling place this morning, one guy in front of me was enthusiastically talking with a poll worker about how it was his first time voting in a presidential election. This is only my third, but I remember that excitement - and it's one that doesn't, or shouldn't, fade with time.

An eager young woman behind me cracked a joke that she'd vote in a box, just so long as she got the chance to vote.

The poll workers also clued us in that Tim Horton's was giving free donuts to voters. I later chose to take advantage of a similar offer from Starbucks. As hokey as it sounds - voting is its own reward - but it's great that these places want to give voters extra incentive.

From there I went down to Brighton Town Hall to try to talk to a couple of voters for a mini-project we're doing today. On my way, I saw a two Rick Dollinger campaign workers standing at Elmwood and Monroe holding signs. Later, I saw them in Starbucks as I claimed my free coffee - the line was nowhere as long as I thought it would be - and chatted a bit. They said they'd be out there for a few hours, and then it was off to knock on doors. That clearly serves as a reminder that campaigns still have work to do.