Community of Voters

Virginia was only one of four states to hold legislative elections yesterday, and when I reached the elementary school that serves as a polling place, an ethereal pale moon was rising in the sky.

Because there were no national races, experts predicted a low turnout. It was anything but the case in our precinct; I had to wait in line even to use a paper ballot. (For the first time ever, I wrote in a candidate's name — for the soil and water conservation board!) And polling officials said it was a steady stream of voters all day.

From a glance at this morning's paper, it's not clear whether our candidates won. What matters more is seeing how many people vote. I said hello to neighbors I hadn't seen in months.

I don't want to romanticize this too much. But sometimes on election day our precinct feels like a village, with small-town manners and courtesies and generosities. I wonder if, in different circumstances, on a different scale, we might be like this every day — a true community.