How Elections Work

by Butler Shaffer, LRC Blog
Nov. 04, 2010

Anthony: You should have learned from the 1999 movie “Election” how the system works. Set in a midwest high-school, a young woman -- Tammy -- has been dragooned into being a candidate for student body president. She speaks, as follows, on her behalf at a school assembly:

“Who cares about this stupid election? We all know it doesn’t matter who gets elected president of Carver. Do you really think it’s going to change anything around here; make one single person smarter or happier or nicer? The only person it does matter to is the one who gets elected. The same pathetic charade happens every year, and everyone makes the same pathetic promises just so they can put it on their transcripts to get into college. So vote for me, because I don’t even want to go to college, and I don’t care, and as president I won’t do anything. The only promise I will make is that if elected I will immediately dismantle the student government, so that none of us will ever have to sit through one of these stupid assemblies again!

[Student body erupts in huge cheers]

Or don’t vote for me . . . who cares? Don’t vote at all!

[more cheers]“

The school administrators immediately retire to their offices and remove Tammy’s name from the ballot.