Fabula

Statehood Party

Description

The Statehood Party fields Bartlet as a candidate in a separate ballot column during the presidential election. Voters mark Bartlet here alongside the primary party line, over-marking ballots and sparking confusion that risks invalidating votes. Josh Lyman scrambles to correct these errors at a polling place, exposing vulnerabilities in ballot design and voter instructions on Election Day.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

2 events
S4E7 · Election Night
Ballot Confusion — Prank and Collapse

The Statehood Party's separate listing of the same candidate is the proximate cause of voter confusion—its presence on the ballot creates the opportunity for over-marking and accidental invalidation.

Active Representation

Through its separate column on the printed ballot and voters' references to it aloud.

Power Dynamics

Operates as an alternative party label that competes for the same vote, unintentionally complicating the enforcement of single-vote rules.

Institutional Impact

Demonstrates how multiple-party listings can generate procedural vulnerability in voting systems and campaign strategy.

Organizational Goals
Capture votes by appearing on the ballot. Signal a distinct political option (statehood) while sharing a candidate.
Influence Mechanisms
Ballot placement and duplicate listings Voter identification with party labels
S4E7 · Election Night
Staged Voters Expose Josh's Election Jitters

The Statehood Party's presence on the ballot is a contextual factor: its separate line contributes to voter confusion and the tangible risk of ballot invalidation that Josh is trying to prevent.

Active Representation

Via its separate ballot column listed at the precinct; no direct spokesperson present.

Power Dynamics

Structural — coexists with the major party on the ballot and thereby complicates voter choices, unintentionally creating friction with other organizations (e.g., Democratic Party).

Institutional Impact

Serves as an example of how third-party or alternate-party lines can create procedural ambiguity; it underscores the administrative vulnerability of plural ballot systems.

Organizational Goals
gain votes by being an available choice on the ballot represent particular interests that draw votes away from or overlap with major parties
Influence Mechanisms
ballot line placement ideological branding that persuades certain voters