•   HOW TO PLAY eLECTIONS



•   LEARN MORE



•   REPORT CARDS



•   SAVE AND RESUME



•   ADVANCED STRATEGY

LEARN MORE

eLECTIONS also includes important commentary on the election process, supplemented by videos contributed by programming partners at CNN Student News, History^TM, and C-SPAN. Collectively, this is referred to as "LEARN MORE" and features a series of historical and political explanations of how running for the United States presidency has evolved to the process we see today. LEARN MORE can be accessed two different ways:

Dive Right In
Players can dive right in by clicking the "LEARN MORE" tab that is always available at the left of the screen.

Let George Be Your Guide
George Washington, your eLECTIONS host, will periodically appear to add insight into game play, politics, and history. A "LEARN MORE" button just beneath George will take players to more information on that topic.

Additionally, a "LEARN MORE" link will always be available at the bottom of the screen under the electoral delegate counter. At any time you may choose to browse the LEARN MORE sections. There's no clock in the game, so it will wait! And you can always click the "Back to Game" button to resume game play.

REPORT CARDS

There's more to the game than winning or losing the election. You can play a great game and lose, or play a sloppy game and win. Both skill and luck are needed in eLECTIONS. The way the game randomly assigns positions on the issues to states may result in key states supporting your candidate's positions and give you a big boost at the start. Conversely, several important states may oppose everything your candidate stands for, and make winning much more difficult.

The game records each player's choices, both good and bad. At the end of the game you will see a Report Card of how well you played the game! If your computer has access to a printer you can even print out your Report Cards.

SAVE AND RESUME

Players don't have to finish a game in one sitting. It can be saved and played later, but only on the same computer.

Players are asked to name each new eLECTIONS game. The game saves incrementally, so when a player exits the game, their progress is automatically saved.

To resume playing, simply choose the "Resume Saved Game" option on the first screen. A list will appear with all the saved games on that computer. Find the file that has the name of your game, and continue playing where you had stopped.

ADVANCED STRATEGY

Read HOW TO PLAY eLECTIONS for a general overview of the game. Browsing the LEARN MORE screens is also a good idea. The more you know about the election process the more information you have and the better you can play the game.

Here are a few helpful ideas on strategies that will help win the election!

Be Consistent with your message!
When a candidate takes a position on an issue and then tries to change they're accused of waffling or flip-flopping. That usually makes voters fear that candidates are not being honest about their beliefs. Inconsistent candidates usually see their poll numbers and financial support decrease. Whenever you are faced with a choice in eLECTIONS, look for the option that is consistent with your stance on the issues!

Dealing with Situations
Each of the different game squares challenges your candidate with a tough situation. Read the options carefully and think like a candidate. The voters, the press, and your opponents are watching your every move!

Spending… aggressive is better
Spending money makes the campaign more effective. The more you spend, the more impact your have on the polls. You can push the spending bar up to about 85% on most turns and will have enough new money coming in to keep campaigning.

Campaign Travel… the most complex decision you will make!
There's a lot to think about when choosing where to travel on the campaign trail! You should be looking to win over states that have a large number of electoral votes. You want to find these high value states where you are slightly behind in the polls. Campaigning there gives you a good chance of carrying the state. Remember, your opponent also gets to choose where they will campaign and you might have to defend your position there!

Next look at how each of these states feels about the issues. Do your positions agree with any of their key issues? If so, campaigning there may be able to increase your standing in the polls and your chances on election day.

There's a lot going on here, but you'll figure it out! It's YOUR campaign. Study the polls and give it your best shot!