I had been outside since 5:45 a.m., in 50-degree drizzle. My feet were soaked despite several changes of socks. My fellow outside poll observers, Republicans and Democrats alike, looked just as forlorn as we answered voters’ questions in Virginia during the 2018 election. At about 2 p.m., a woman with three small kids in tow waved at us as she went in to vote. I loved seeing her – and other parents – bring their kids to the polls. “Thank you for being here!” she called to all of us as she emerged. My colleagues and I smiled at her and each other. We felt good, being part of the electoral process…cold as it was.