Recently, in the Virginia House of Delegates election, Shelly Simonds, a Democrat, won by a single vote. Really. The results went 11,608 votes for Democrat and 11,607 votes for Republican - ending the 17 years of GOP rule in Virginia.

A recount led to a panel of three judges deciding that the election was really a tie, so now the winner of this specific election will be chosen by drawing a name out of a glass bowl. Crazy, I know.

However, this isn't the first time that one vote has won an election...

• In the presidential election of 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes (R) was running against Samuel J. Tilden (D). The popular vote went comfortably to Tilden, by around 250,000 votes, but Hayes won the electoral college by a single electoral vote.

• In the 1910 election for New York's 36th Congressional District, a Democrat received 20,685 votes to the Republican's 20,684. This election went undisputed, and the Democrat was elected.

• Across the Atlantic, in 17th-Century England, one vote cost King Charles I his head. This is definitely more intense than any election we would see in the United States, yet, a single vote still held the power to change history.

• By a margin of one vote each time, California, Texas, Oregon, and Washington were granted admission into statehood.

• One vote saved Andrew Johnson from his Senate impeachment trial. One vote could've impeached a president.

What is really astounding about when one vote is the decider of an election, is that every vote was that one vote. It's a group win, and everyone who voted contributed. While one vote changed the outcome, it wouldn't have mattered without the other votes.

For this reason, I believe it is incredibly important for every American to vote in every election. The ballot box is the most sacred tool we have as citizens of the United States. It is where we decide the future of our communities, our states, our country, and, given that the U.S. holds so much global power, our planet.

Every election has consequences, and every election should be held at equal importance. Voting in presidential elections is wonderful, but there are three more years for special elections and midterms to vote in, which will likely have a far greater impact on your community than the presidential election.

We cannot fall into the trap of believing our vote doesn't matter because, obviously, one vote can change the course of history. Every vote counts and every vote holds power. Do not give up your power by staying home during elections — let your local, state, and federal government know what you want from them.

"Don't boo. Vote."
— President Barack Obama