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In 1839, Edward Everett, Whig Party member and incumbent governor of Massachusetts, faced a challenge by Democratic nominee Marcus Morton.
Morton received 51,034 votes -- clearing the threshold for a runoff election by a single vote.
While the state's laws provided Everett avenues for contesting Morton's vote total, he declined to pursue them and allowed Morton to take office.
In 1974, Republican nominee Louis Wyman and Democratic nominee John Durkin competed for a U.S. Senate seat in the aftermath of the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal.
When the votes were first counted, Wyman won by 355 votes.
After a recount requested by Durkin, Durkin led by 10 votes.
Wyman then, according to the U.S. Senate's website, requested a second recount, which put him back in the lead -- by two votes.
In 1984, incumbent Democrat Frank McCloskey initially was believed to have defeated the Republican running for his U.S. House seat, Rick McIntyre, by 72 votes.
A recount placed McIntyre in the lead by 34 votes.
As the new Congress convened, both candidates were paid the congressional salary as different authorities applied different methods and standards of recounting to the dispute.
When the dust settled, McIntyre was declared the winner -- by four votes.
Throughout our country's history -- from congressional races in Virginia in 1882 and North Carolina in 1868 to races for governor of Minnesota in 1962 and Washington state in 2004 -- we have seen some close elections.
Elections where every vote truly did count.
We cannot know if any of them races on this year's ballots will be that close.
As contentious and acrimonious as politics have become, we certainly hope not.
But we still must encourage every eligible voter to vote.
To exercise their right and to take their share of ownership in our democratic republic.
Because whether the margin is one vote, two votes, four votes or 40,000 votes, we all have an obligation to mold our government into one representative of our preferences, and, more importantly, our values.
To bring our perspectives together so that all philosophical and ideological corners of our communities and our country have a seat at the table.
It's a strength as a nation when our elections are close and still our strength as a nation when they are not.
So celebrate it, and participate in it.