Donna's Invalid Ballot — Framed Vote and Nighttime Uncertainty

In the communications office Josh gives a rapid primer on why early returns and exit polls are unreliable — most people vote after work — while Donna asks him to have the President sign her absentee ballot so she can frame it as a keepsake. Josh then discovers, to both their horror, that Donna accidentally voted the Republican ticket. Her pride and loyalty pivot into panic; she snatches the ballot and storms off to 'rectify' it. The beat humanizes the staff, provides comic tension, and propels the immediate personal crisis that contrasts with the larger electoral uncertainty.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

Josh explains the slow pace of early voting and the unpredictability of exit polls, emphasizing the importance of post-work voting.

neutral to urgency

Donna asks Josh to get the President to sign her absentee ballot for framing, revealing her pride in voting for the President.

casual to pride

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

No character participations recorded

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 2

Thematic Parallel medium

"Both beats highlight the theme of voting errors and their potential impact on election outcomes, with Josh encountering confused voters and Donna realizing her own ballot mistake."

Ballot Confusion — Prank and Collapse

S4E7 · Election Night

Thematic Parallel medium

"Both beats highlight the theme of voting errors and their potential impact on election outcomes, with Josh encountering confused voters and Donna realizing her own ballot mistake."

Staged Voters Expose Josh's Election Jitters

S4E7 · Election Night

What this causes 2

Causal

"Donna's discovery of her invalid ballot leads her to actively seek out a Ritchie supporter to offset her mistake, culminating in her successful plea to Jack Reese."

Donna Tries to Buy Back an Honor Vote

S4E7 · Election Night

Causal

"Donna's discovery of her invalid ballot leads her to actively seek out a Ritchie supporter to offset her mistake, culminating in her successful plea to Jack Reese."

Balancing the Ballot: Donna's Mistake, Jack's Gesture

S4E7 · Election Night

Key Dialogue

"JOSH: "Nothing's happening right bow. By the end of the night, 100 million votes will be cast. Polls have been open in the East for six and a half hours. You know how many votes have been cast? One percent. Everybody votes after work. Not me, I vote first thing. The VNS exit polls are down in Michigan for a little while. And it's raining Oregon. This is like the ionization blackout period.""

"DONNA: "This is a photocopy of my absentee ballot. I was hoping the President could sign it and I'd have it framed.""

"JOSH: "You voted for Ritchie.""