Months and months of anticipation – or maybe dread? – have led to today. Election day.  Over the coming days and weeks, there will continue to be a lot of talk about candidates, polls, the state of democracy. But we also want to recognize the emotional difficulty of election day... of election season.  Politics can leave a lot of people bitter and divided. It’s cost treasured relationships and led to feelings of anger, contempt, and fear. Bridging divides and finding common ground aren’t simple or easy. Over the past year, Mónica Guzmán and April Lawson have been thinking a lot about how to do it.  Mónica Guzmán works with Braver Angels, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to political depolarization. Her podcast – produced in partnership with KUOW – is called "A Braver Way." Guests: Mónica Guzmán is a senior fellow at Braver Angels. April Lawson is the cofounder of Insight Debate and Dialogue. Related Links:  Braving the unknown: Your election survival guide - Braver Angels Consumed by the news? How to stay sane in a polarized election - Braver Angels Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.