My favorite election story

As a glass half full (or maybe just a quarter) guy, I'm focused on positives from Tuesday's election rather than the negatives. Minimum wage increases were supported in a number of states. Several governmental bodies voted down fracking. We saw a doubling from two to four in the number of states allowing recreational use of marijuana. We also realized, in the starkest terms possible, the price of staying home on election day, regardless of the reason. So my favorite election day story concerns that issue; voter participation.

My mostly retired tennis buddies and I retire after every fierce two hour doubles match to the local coffee shop for caffeine and conversation. Much of our gabfest concerns politics. One of our group is just 46 and not yet retired. He also has neither voted nor even registered to vote. I would gently chide him about his voter status and offer to register him in my capacity as a voter registrar, but nothing came of it. Just before the election he emailed me asking about my candidate recommendations. I didn't take his request seriously as I assumed he wasn't voting, just curious about my choices. I was wrong. He not only voted, he told me that all my preaching about the importance of doing so is what motivated him to first register... and then vote.

Wouldn't this be a much better functioning democracy if every one of us who cared about public policy encouraged just one non-voter to decide to pull the lever next election?