Whether your candidate or hot-button issue won or lost last week, there's still room for celebration on both sides of the aisle with the heavy turnout of voters taking part in last week's General Election.

No, the 2008 election didn't produce a record turnout in Carroll County, but it did in other areas, and the election everywhere resulted in a high level of turnout among young voters -- many casting ballots for the first time ever.

Considering the number of voters at the polls, things went smoothly. Elections officials -- from the Board of Elections to the volunteers at the polls -- are to be commended for yeoman's work that will encourage voters not to let long lines deter them.

We might be in the middle of a bear market these days, but last week's turnout and passion makes us feel a little more bullish on democracy.

There's a history to why we have elections on the first Tuesday in November, having to do with factors ranging from weather to farm harvests.

But if we had our druthers, we might suggest that Election Day swap places with Veterans Day, so that our opportunity to honor the sacrifices of war comes before we cast our ballots.

Over the past week local organizations hosted Veterans Day events -- from the City of Westminster's event at the Longwell Armory with American Legion Post 31 to Steve Bowersox's moving pictorial tribute to Westminster High School veterans of WWII (see story, Page 1).

In the busy days that follow the election process -- and the "post-election news syndrome" that has worn many people out -- it can be a sad side effect that we forget those who have made democracy possible.

As we thank those who exercised their franchise last week, we owe a debt of gratitude as well to those who have helped preserve the gift and the responsibility we have as Americans.

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