It’s a truism that every vote counts.

But in Virginia, the balance of power in the House of Delegates – which we wrote about after the elections – now teeters in a 50-50 split, with a tie for one seat between Democrat Shelly Simonds and Republican David Yancey. The final tally: 11,608 votes for each. The fate of the seat now will be drawn by lot and the loser can request an additional recount. The state Board of Elections will decide the next move.

But lawmakers in both parties say they see the prospect of sharing power as an opportunity for Virginia to showcase the kind of cooperation that many voters say they want.

When it appeared that Ms. Simonds had won by one vote, several Republican delegates said in a joint statement: “We stand ready to establish a bipartisan framework under which the House can operate efficiently and effectively over the next two years.” 

For its part, the Democratic leadership says it sees an opportunity to “do something really special here.”

“I’m optimist[ic] that we can actually be a model for the nation,” Democratic Caucus chair Charniele Herring told station WTOP.

In happy holiday news, we have an update on the big-hearted 9-year-old we told you about yesterday. Employees at an Ohio Microsoft store heard about Mikah Frye’s generosity in giving up an Xbox to provide blankets for those who are homeless, just like his family once was. They surprised him with two bags of gifts, including the video game console.

Now, here are our five stories of the day showing community, generosity of spirit, and one generation helping another.