An election day-in-the-life for a 13-time incumbent as was Warren's Walter Felag Jr. this cycle might seem like old hat to those outside of the state senator's inner circle, but there's more to it than just another day at the polls for him for sure.

Felag, the Democrat who was elected to a 14th term as the District 10 (Warren, Bristol, Tiverton) member in the upper chamber last Tuesday with a victory over Republican Allyn Meyers, does have a routine he sticks to every few years on the first Tuesday in November, beginning with a spritely start to his day.

"I did what I always do on Election Day, which is I get up early and take a ride to the polling stations where I put up one of my lawn signs," Felag explained around mid-day November 5. "I place my sign there just as a reminder to voters, to get my name out there."

Felag, with wife Elaine, next visited one of the churches in town, this year being Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church on Metacom Avenue. Just after lunch, he began another tour of polls, including a brief turn at the Town Hall site. Felag then made a stop that's likely his most enjoyable of all except for the announcement of the results later in the evening.

"There's also two other things I do every election day," Felag continued, describing what he's done since first running for office, winning a seat on the Warren Town Council, 46 years go.

"The first thing is I go to church and the second is I go to Deletka's Pharmacy (now "Corner Store" at Joyce and Main Streets) for a 'Coffee Cabinet. It's the best in the whole state of Rhode Island. It gives me the nourishment to get through the day," Felag quipped, referring to the drink known by the name "cabinet" to Ocean Staters and milkshake to others less familiar.

Even though the local ballot was rather light — there were only three contested elections directly tied to Warren — the polling places he visited around the town were extremely busy considering it was a Presidential Election year and a highly-charged one to boot.

"Election cycles have changed over the years, naturally," Felag observed. "When I first started there were a lot more office holders running. Back then (1978), the sewer commissioner ran, the tax assessor, the town clerk and all five (town council) seats. There was a lot more action. Now, especially with early voting, a lot more people have already voted before today."

As for how he felt about his race with Meyers as the back-half of the day approached, Felag said, "Obviously, you always have to have a positive feeling about what's going to happen, but then you just wait to find out what the people say. But I work diligently at my duties. I listen and respond to my constituents. And I make informed decisions. They know that."

Between lunch and the results, which begin to get released upon the closing of polls at 8 p.m., Felag said he had one last bit of regular election day business to do.

"I'm going circle back around to the polling locations, then around 3 or 4 o'clock I start collecting my signs," Felag added. "It's a long process. I start in Tiverton and then I'm fortunate to have a few people who help me in Bristol, then I finish back in Warren. Then I wait for the results."

At around 8-ish Tuesday evening, gathered with Elaine and his fellow Democrats at the Hometown Tavern on the Warren end of Metacom Avenue, the results, as they have every time since 1978, again were returned in the veteran pol's favor: Felag was re-elected with a total of 8,536 votes, 57.8%, while his opponent in a rematch of the 2022 election, Republican Allyn Meyers, finished with 6,202, 42%.

"There's always a sense of gratitude. Gratitude in that the people feel confident in your ability to represent them," Felag said at the end of Election Night 2024, at the conclusion of his 24th campaign.

He's never lost a race, including being voted on the Warren Town Council 10 times and now winning his 14th try at the State Senate.

Felag added, "And there's always a sense of thankfulness for the voters showing confidence in me. Tomorrow starts another day that I begin working on their behalf."