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Title Card:
PRECINCT FOUR POLLING PLACE, WEST END PUBLIC LIBRARY 24TH & L
7:17 A.M.
Polling Place – Day: Josh walks out of a voting booth and a volunteer places a sticker on his jacket, indicating that he has voted. A man approaches him, saying that he recognizes Josh as working for the president and asking if he might ask him a question. He states that Bartlet was on the ballot for both the Democratic Party and the Statehood party and asks Josh to confirm that it was appropriate to vote for Bartlet in both columns. Josh explains that his vote will be invalid. Another man joins their conversation, having heard the first man’s question, but not Josh’s response, and thinking that he has voted wrong. A woman joins in, telling the group that it is possible to vote for all Democrats on the ticket by voting for the first one and leaving the rest of the ballot blank. Josh is becoming more and more flustered through this exchange and walks away from the group. Another woman tries to get his attention and Josh initially snaps at her, but when seeing that she is rather pretty, switches to flirting. She tells Josh that she just ranked the candidates in order of preference. Josh, now truly frustrated, tells her that her ballot is also invalid. The pretty woman says she has just one more thing, and Josh exasperatedly asks what it is. She states that she has a message from Toby Ziegler. Josh is surprised that the woman knows Toby. She responds, “He says… Ten Dollars,” and Josh looks up to see the group of people he had been talking to looking at him and smiling. Josh realizes that Toby was playing a prank on him, and confirms that the group is an acting troupe sent to give him a hard time. Josh leaves the polling place with a smile.
Opening Credits.
Title Card:
10:00 A.M.
Roosevelt Room – Day Ed, Larry, Sam, C.J., and Toby are in the room. Larry, Sam, and C.J. discuss decorations for the victory party. Sam states that the sole decoration should be the American flag to symbolize unity of the country, no campaign banners, balloons, or confetti. C.J. disagrees, stating that this is a party and a reason to celebrate. Toby shakes his head at them, disapprovingly. C.J. asks what he is trying to say and Toby states that the election has not been won yet. C.J. states that the speech is done, as if to say that the election is in the bag. Toby replies that there are two completed speeches, one if the president wins reelection and one if he does not. Sam expresses shock that Toby has written a concession speech. Toby states that he has written it so as to not tempt fate and orders Sam to go outside, turn around three times, and spit. Sam just looks at him incredulously as Josh enters the room. C.J., in an accent and apparent imitation of the acting troupe at the polling place, begins to ask Josh another ridiculous question. Josh laughs and Sam informs him that Toby has written a concession speech, still dismayed at Toby’s apparent doubt. Josh affirms Toby’s writing of the speech. Toby then tattles that Sam has dared assume that victory is assured, and Josh orders Sam to go outside, turn around three times, and swear. Toby corrects him that Sam should curse, and they both order Sam out of the room and he leaves. Ed and Toby agree that they will meet again at 11:00 A.M., when the first round of exit polls will come out. C.J. asks Toby if she can talk with him for a moment and they walk into the hallway. Toby asks what she needs and whether the president is in trouble. C.J. states that there is trouble for Toby himself, and indicates that this is a conversation to be had in private, as they move to Toby’s office.
Toby’s Office: C.J. tells Toby that the Office of the Congress’s Attending Physician has told Roll Call (a Capitol Hill newspaper) that Andy is pregnant. Toby questions whether this is any of their business. C.J. tells him that this news could be bad for both him and Andy. Toby corrects her saying that she means the news will be bad for the White House, but C.J. assures him that she spoke correctly the first time and can handle any damage to the administration. She asks how Andy is planning to handle the situation and tells him that it would be nice to be able to announce that they are re-marrying. Toby says that he and Andy have not discussed the situation yet, but that he is trying to get her to marry him again.
Communications Office: C.J. exits Toby’s office, where she sees Sam and asks if he has performed his instructed superstitious ritual. He confirms that he has and mocks her when she states, “you can’t be too careful.” Bonnie tells Sam that Will Bailey is on the phone. Sam picks up the phone in a joking mood. Will tells him that their amateur exit pollsters (volunteers with clipboards) are reporting that Horton Wilde is winning, “down one in Spyglass Hill even in Emerald Bay and up three in El Toro Station.” Sam tells him that Democrats and diehards vote early in the day and that this is nothing to get too excited about. Will asks if he wants updates every few hours and Sam states that he would like one every hour. Sam hangs up and goes to the Communications Bullpen. He asks Bonnie to confirm what he was just told Will, and she agrees, though it does not appear to calm his now worried expression much.
Title Card:
FIRST EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MANCHESTER, N.H.
Polling Place – Day: Mrs. Bartlet steps out of a voting booth and the crowd applauds. A reporter asks whom she voted for and she jokes that she was fixing her makeup. She answers a few more questions, stating that the president will be spending the day thanking supporters and mentions a few competitive ballot issues including 14 Senate and 46 House races and a large bond issue in New Hampshire. President Bartlet emerges from another voting booth and a reporter asks how he would feel if he won reelection, but lost the vote in his home state. Bartlet responds that he would rather that than to win the state and lose the election. The reporter then asks whether he voted for the bond issue. He jokes that electioneering is unlawful this close to the polling place, but then states that he does support the bond. They move to the front steps of the church where several reporters call out his name. They ask if he has any messages for Governor Richie today and he jokes that they will be talking later in the evening, then states that they can ask more questions of Abbey and heads toward the motorcade.
Charlie hands him a folder and states that the papers inside are ready for his signature. Bartlet asks him for some aspirin. Charlie asks if he needs to see the doctor and Bartlet states that he only has a headache and that he wants only the two of them in the car today. Bartlet gets into the limousine and closes the door. He opens the folder and pulls out a pen, but his hand is trembling. Exasperated at his hand, he says “come on,” then closes the folder and says he will sign the papers later. His hand continues to tremble and he places his other hand on top of it to steady it.
Title Card:
1:30 P.M.
BARTLET [D]: 597,343
RITCHIE [R]: 551,794
WILDE [D]: 16,916
WEBB [R]: 16,864
Josh’s Bullpen – Day: Josh is displaying a lot of nervous energy as, according to him, nothing is happening due to rain in Oregon and the tendency for people to vote after work. Donna humors him and jokes that he should go to the movies for eight hours. She then asks if Josh will get Bartlet to sign a copy of her absentee ballot so that she can have it framed. Josh looks at the ballot and laughs, seeing that Donna voted for Richie. He tells her that the other staff have already pranked him this morning. Donna tells him that this is not a prank and tries to show him that she did in fact vote for Bartlet. Josh shows her that she not only voted for Richie, but every Republican in Wisconsin. Donna vows to rectify her mistake, grabbing her coat and walking off. Josh heads toward the Oval Office.
Outer Oval Office: Josh tells Debbie he is going to head into the Oval Office for the Senior Staff meeting. Debbie informs him that he is not, as he does not have his briefing memo. He lies, saying he doesn’t need the memo because he has memorized it. She asks if he read the email regarding the new rules of the week. He states that he did read it but can’t remember the details. Debbie tells him that the second rule requires senior staff to bring the memo to the meeting as it outlines the agenda as well as several key topics. Josh states that she has a valid point and that he will remember the memo the next time. Debbie sends him back to his office to retrieve the memo and he agrees to “humor the new girl.” Josh walks into the hallway, where he sees Charlie. Charlie knowingly asks if he is going to get his briefing memo. Debbie tells Charlie that security would like to see him downstairs.
Northwest Lobby: Charlie walks into the lobby where Anthony and his friend, a very large kid, are being held by security. Charlie tells security that Anthony is with him and Anthony explains that the other boy is Orlando Kettles, a friend of his who will be starting right tackle for the Columbus Buckeyes, but that he had been pulled over with an open can of Pabst beer in his hand. The boys assure Charlie that Orlando had not been drunk and had passed the Breathalyzer test. They want Charlie to help Orlando so that their coach will let him play in a game this weekend. Charlie, persuaded by Anthony’s argument that without a positive experience like football Orlando could be recruited by a gang, asks whether he has committed any other crimes, to which he responds that he once stole a goat. Charlie, deciding that this is negligible, states that the boys will spend the day with him. The three of them walk into the hallway.
Hallway: Josh, reading the forgotten briefing memo while he walks, walks straight into Orlando. As Orlando helps him up, Josh comments that he should play football. Orlando replies that he is trying. Charlie and the boys walk further down the hall while Josh heads into the Outer Oval Office.
Outer Oval Office: Josh walks in, memo in hand, and again informs Debbie that he is heading in to the Senior Staff meeting. Debbie denies him access, citing the first rule, which she informs Josh says that the meeting starts on time and that those not present at the beginning of the meeting are denied admittance. Josh argues against this rule, stating that there needs to be a natural fluidity to the day and it is impossible to be on time to every meeting. Debbie responds that the rule applies only to the Senior Staff meeting and explains that the President is typically 70 to 90 minutes behind schedule by the end of the day, putting him to bed, on average, at 10:20. Josh assures her that he will be on time next time and requests permission to go into the meeting. Debbie denies him, and he respectfully steps out into the hallway, looking both ways.
Hallway: Donna tells Josh that she is going to go out for about twenty minutes to find a Richie supporter who will “swap votes” with her by voting for Bartlet to balance her mis-vote. Josh doubts her, but agrees and she walks off.
Josh sees Toby and calls to talk to him. Andy walks up and states that Toby does not have time to talk because they are late for their first sonogram. Josh tells them not to look directly at the 18-inch needle that they are going to stick into Andy’s abdomen. Andy informs him that that is amniocentesis. Josh then advises Toby to pay off the nurse to assure a smooth second trimester. Andy laughs him off and heads out the door. Toby stays and asks Josh, ” So what do you think, like 50 bucks?” Toby follows Andy.
Josh turns and sees Sam coming out of the Senior Staff meeting in the Oval Office. Josh comments that Sam has never been on time to the Senior Staff meeting and Sam replies that he was just very late to the meeting prior. Bonnie tells Sam that Will Bailey is on the phone again. Josh says that the name sounds familiar and Sam tells him that he is running the Horton Wilde campaign. Josh tells him that Wilde is going to lose by twenty points. Sam asks if that statistic is from the exit polls and Josh says yes. Sam goes to talk to Will.
Communication’s Office: Sam picks up the phone to talk to Will. Will says that they are still winning. Sam relays what Josh had told him and Will responds that the statistic is from the tracking polls, the last of which were finished a week before when the DNC had left town. Just as Sam is telling Will that Josh had indeed said exit polls, Josh enters the office confirming what Will had just told Sam, that he had meant tracking polls and that the last poll was finished a week prior. Will requests that Wilde be added to the President’s afternoon radio ads. Sam encourages Will not to get too hopeful as the “real Orange County” (plant workers) will vote after work.
Horton Wilde Campaign Headquarters – Day: Elsie asks Will what Sam said on the phone. Will responds that they are not to get their hopes up, and Elsie asks if Will’s hopes already are up. Will tells her no, and then tells his workers to get to work, that they are about to make history.
Doctor’s Office – Day: Andy is sitting on an exam table while a nurse prepares her for her sonogram. Toby blurts out to Andy that C.J. has told him that Roll Call knows about her pregnancy. She asks about their source and Toby begins to tell her that it is the Office of the Congress’s Attending Physician and Andy becomes upset. Toby asks her how long she was planning to keep the pregnancy a secret and suggests that she proactively release a press statement stating that she is pregnant, Toby is the father, and that they plan to remarry. Andy rebuts that she is not going to remarry him and that she had not announced her pregnancy because it is ill advised to do so in the first trimester due to the high level of complications. The doctor enters and asks Andy a few pregnancy-related questions. Andy and Toby continue their argument, with Toby offering to handle the press release as his first act of fatherhood, in an effort of “damage control,” and Andy avoiding the issue by joking that he has already performed his first act of fatherhood and that the pregnancy is not to be referred to as damage control. Their argument stops abruptly when they hear the sound of a baby’s heartbeat and they turn to look at the sonogram.
Title Card:
4:00 P.M.
BARTLET [D]: 9,438,042
RITCHIE [R]: 7,992,713
WILDE [D]: 31,465
WEBB [R]: 31,117
Outside of Polling Place – Day: Donna is talking with an elderly gentleman, trying to get him to swap votes with her. She reasons that her vote for Richie in Wisconsin is actually more valuable than a vote in Washington, D.C., because Wisconsin will be a close race, whereas Bartlet will almost certainly win in the district. He questions how he can be certain that she did vote for Richie based on a photocopy. Donna argues that it is “an honor thing.” The man leaves to vote and Donna yells at him that she is not trying to scam him and that she is frustrated that she has been out in the cold for two and a half hours. Sam walks up, saying that Josh had told him she was there, and offers Donna a cup of coffee. They walk down the street to get a muffin from a street vendor as Sam talks about the rain in Oregon. Sam blurts out his secret that he offered to stand in for Horton Wilde should he win the election, comparing his odds of actually having to step up to the Secretary of Agriculture being in the line of succession to the presidency. Donna seems excited at the possibility of Wilde winning, but Sam expresses his concern about the effects it could have on his future political career. Sam leaves to go back to the office and Donna continues to hunt for her vote.
White House Lobby – Day: Anthony and Orlando are waiting at a table when Charlie walks in. He tells Orlando that he has been cleared to go upstairs. They start walking and Charlie warns the boys to be careful, particularly that he does not want Orlando to break any of the White House antiques. Anthony asks what they will be doing for the rest of the day. Charlie says that they will stay with him and go with him to vote later in the evening. Orlando mentions that he thinks he may registered to vote, but does not know where. Charlie agrees to help him find out.
Oval Office – Day: Debbie is at Bartlet’s desk with a phone technician when the President enters. He asks what they are doing and Debbie explains that they are reprogramming the phone so that line one will directly call her desk. The technician leaves and Bartlet asks what was wrong with the old phone. She replies that this is simply better. He states that he has heard that she has some new rules for meetings. She confirms this. Bartlet then becomes emotional, defending Mrs. Landingham’s ability to run the office. Debbie acknowledges what he has said with a simple “yes, sir.” Redirecting their conversation, Debbie reminds him that line one will dial her phone. Bartlet asks how he can get an outside line. She tells him, but says that he will not need it as she will be placing all of his outside calls. They argue about this briefly, but he finally concedes when she reasons that soon he may not remember placing a call, but that she will create a record of the call if she dials it. Debbie goes to leave, then turns and apologizes that he had misinterpreted her actions as an insult to her predecessor. She turns to leave again, and he asks if she had noticed anything today that had led her to question his health. She responds no and asks if he needs a doctor. He says no and she leaves.
Title Card:
4:00 P.M. [PST]
BARTLET [D]: 39,063,986
RITCHIE [R]: 32,365,173
WILDE [D]: 41,364
WEBB [R]: 41,374
Horton Wilde Campaign Headquarters – Day: Someone tells Will that he has a phone call from the County Clerk’s legal counsel. Will picks up the phone and tells her that there are scattered power outages in the Casa Verde precinct in Santa Ana, causing streetlights to malfunction. After he proposes this as election tampering, it appears that she has promised to correct the issue. Will hangs up and begins giving orders to move sound trucks and requesting a weather report. Elsie tries to convince him that what he does now will not affect the election results, but he argues that there is till time to influence minds.
Title Card:
7:15 P.M.
BARTLET [D]: 41,182,004
RITCHIE [R]: 34,091,976
WILDE [D]: 41,382
WEBB [R]: 41,484
Outside of Polling Place – Night: Donna is talking to another potential vote-swapper. She stresses the value of a Richie vote in Wisconsin. He responds by asking her what it says about Bartlet, the so-called smart candidate, that his staff is not able to fill out a ballot. Donna screams that Bartlet will still win while he walks away and that it is “an honor thing.” As she is screaming, Lieutenant Commander Jack Reese steps out of a taxi. He asks Donna if someone has stolen her purse and she replies that she is fine, but frustrated that she has been on a mission that should have only taken her twenty minutes and instead has taken her six hours. He turns to walk away. Donna pauses and asks whether his is going to vote for Bartlet or Richie. At first he is reluctant to tell her, causing Donna to yell that she is not asking for the code to unlock a bomb. In doing so she calls him Lieutenant. Slightly flustered by her outburst, he tells her that he is voting for Richie and points out that she has demoted his rank. She apologizes. Reese states that he is looking forward to voting, as this is the first election that he has not had to vote by absentee ballot due to being on a submarine. Donna uses this to propose they swap votes. He agrees without discussion and they flirtatiously introduce themselves. She asks why it is that he is not on a submarine right now and he tells her that he has been assigned to Nancy McNally’s office at the White House. He then excuses himself to vote. She offers to show him the copy of her absentee ballot and he responds that he does not need to see it, as it is “an honor thing.”
Title Card:
8:35 P.M.
BARTLET [D]: 43,994,784
RITCHIE [R]: 35,475,855
WILDE [D]: 43,007
WEBB [R]: 43,210
Communications Office – Night: Josh is telling Toby about the favorable exit polls. Toby, meanwhile, is mesmerized by his sonogram picture of the twins. Ed walks into the office carrying a bundle of balloons. This catches Toby’s attention, and he warns Ed to keep victory balloons out of his sight until the victory has been declared. Ed runs away.
Polling Place – Night: Charlie, Anthony, and Orlando are waiting in line to vote. Charlie is coaching Orlando, asking if he feels sufficiently informed from the candidate information he gave him. Orlando says that he does, but that he is a little nervous. Charlie asks him about football and why he cares so much about a high school football game when he is going to go to a Big Ten school. Orlando says that it is something that makes him feel successful. Orlando walks into the next available voting booth while Charlie and Anthony wait. Charlie asks Anthony how long they kept the goat that they stole and what they fed him. Anthony responds three days and Cheetos. Orlando emerges from the booth, proud that he has voted.
Outside Horton Wilde Campaign Headquarters – Night: Will is standing in the parking lot, looking up, and pleading at the sky. Elsie comes out and encourages him to come inside and eat with the group. Will ignores her, yells “Now!” and throws his hands up at the sky. At that precise moment, rain begins to pour from the sky and they both seem amazed.
Title Card:
8:59 P.M.
Communications Office – Night: Toby, Josh, and C.J. are watching election coverage on the television. Carol calls out to C.J. that she has a phone call. The call is very short, causing Josh to question it, and she responds that he will find out in a minute. Carol calls out that it is 9:00 and the room cheers as C.J. leaves the room. We follow her into the hallway where she meets up with Leo and they walk into the Oval Office.
Oval Office: C.J. begins fixing a drink. Bartlet asks what she is doing and she hands him the drink as Leo tells him that he has won New Hampshire. They walk into the Mural Room, where the crowd applauds. Reporters on television are commenting on the closing polls.
Title Card:
11:01 P.M.
BARTLET [D]: 53,766,221
RITCHIE [R]: 42,992,342
WILDE [D]: 53,622
WEBB [R]: 53,710
Ballroom – Night: Bartlet is standing at the podium while the crowd cheers. He begins his speech.
Backstage – Continuous from previous scene: Sam is watching television reports on the election in California. Donna asks him what is happening and he replies the race is too close to call.
Bartlet continues his speech. As he pauses for applause, he turns to look at the teleprompter but appears unable to read it and begins to improvise. He finishes the speech and the song “The Times They Are A’Changing” begins to play.
Josh and Toby walk up to Sam. They tell him that they are going back to the office for a few hours to monitor nine House races that are too close to call. The two of them laugh about the California 47th, where Horton Wilde, a dead man in a race with a bizarre combinations of otherfactors, is losing by only 88 votes. Sam, a little more somber than the other two, agrees that they should go back to the office.
Back in the ballroom, Bartlet shakes the crowd’s hands, and then walks offstage with Abbey. Abbey asks how he is feeling and he says that he feels great. She asks if he wants a glass of water and he says no; she asks again and he says no again. She then more firmly states that she is going to get him a glass of water to hold in his hand. He pauses then asks how she knew. She replies that he was off the prompter and he confirms that he could not see it. Abbey assures him that it will be okay, but that there will be more bad days this term. He asks if they can still party tonight and she responds that he still has many nights left because he has friends and family who love him and will help him. They kiss. C.J. interrupts, asking if they will take another curtain call, which they do.