From the time I was a wee lad, as my Irish grandmother would say, Election Day in Erie always seemed special. I grew up next door to the Polish National Alliance Club, which did a booming business every Election Day. All the local clubs did, because, by law, the regular bars and taverns could not serve alcohol until all the votes were counted.

It seems quaint today to think that the state had to mandate a "dry law" to keep voters sober on the big day, but, thinking back to many people who frequented those taverns on a regular basis, maybe the lawmakers had something there. Or, perhaps I just lived in an especially thirsty neighborhood.

Because of its diverse ethnic background, Erie has always been a hotbed of politics. Certain ethnic groups that could not gain equality socially or economically worked like crazy to get their people elected to office. And it often worked. Then they would get a fair measure of equality.

When I was growing up in parochial school in Erie, the nuns would send us out on Election Day to sell chances to the voters as they stood in line at the school to vote. It's also why various groups held bake sales, special "Election Night Dinners," and other events designed to take advantage of the crowds.

The church where I vote in Millcreek Township still puts on an awesome bake sale, and I always look forward to taking home one of the delicious apple pies they offer there.

Familiar faces at the polling stations greet Erie voters each spring and fall, and those dedicated souls -- many of whom are in their 70s or older -- always remind my of my late mother, who served as a constable at the voting place up the street from our house. Mom stood about 5-foot-2, and I don't know how she would have kept the peace if real trouble erupted. Check that. I know exactly how she'd do it, because she never had any trouble keeping my three brothers and me in line.

I would imagine that the experience of voting in Erie is quite similar to what it's like at many of the other polling spots around the nation. It has a distinctly American flavor, just as the Election Day coverage did today in the Erie Times-News.

No matter how bitter the campaigns got, Election Day always seems to be a day of celebration -- until the votes are counted, of course. Then the winners will separate themselves from the losers. But that happens later. For now, I'm looking forward to heading down to the church after work to vote -- and to get one of those unforgettable pies.

-- Kevin Cuneo