Did you notice the expressive faces of children in the photos snapped at the post-election parties? Some of the kids were grinning widely, as they clutched their parents' hands. Others betrayed the emotions of the moment, as their faces showed the heartbreak of the final numbers.

I've always enjoyed visiting the post-election parties, as candidates nervously awaited results from the courthouse. The drama and tension in such situations is not much different from what you might find at a high-stakes sporting event in its final moments.

Occasionally, I've come across a losing candidate who, overcome from disappointment and exhaustion, might have a drink too many and then start to tell everyone -- primarily the newspaper reporters -- what they think of you. In a way, that's how Richard Nixon's famous, "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around" moment came about after he lost California's 1962 race for governor.

Some years, when there were so many races it was tough to keep on top of all of them, I can recall being asked by my editor to call up one of the candidates to get some quotes. "OK, which candidate won?" I asked. "You find out," came the response.

I remember getting a 68-year-old farmer out of bed at 11:30 p.m. and trying to figure out from his tone of voice if he had won or lost the race. Finally, he said, "You don't have a clue who won this election, do you, son?" When I admitted that I didn't, he laughed and told me to call him in the morning. Then he hung up. Later, I learned from his opponent that the farmer had won.

Most candidates are magnanimous on election day. And it doesn't seem to matter if they won or lost. I suppose they're just glad to get the darned race overwith, but there might also be a sense that they've played a role in this wonderful thing we call democracy.

Any way you slice it, election day is fun to cover. And sometimes it's almost as much fun the next day when everyone wants to sit around, have their say on it, and talk about all the excitement.

-- Kevin Cuneo