Object

Abbey's Chicago Ballots

Abbey Bartlet claims she fills out these Chicago ballots right after exiting the Manchester polling booth, her words drawing applause from the crowd and laughter from reporters. She grips the conversation like a prop, turning paper vote sheets into proof of her campaign hustle beyond New Hampshire's borders, her deflection sharp and timed to humanize the stakes amid flashing cameras and echoing cheers.

2 appearances

Purpose

Instruments for casting votes in the Chicago Democratic primary

Significance

Abbey deploys them as a witty prop to redirect press scrutiny from her personal ballot, underscoring her active role in the national campaign and the couple's skill at framing local votes within broader moral imperatives.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E7 · Election Night

Abbey Deflects; Bartlet Reframes the Stakes

Abbey references 'filling out Chicago ballots' as a rhetorical prop—an invocation of campaign hustle that signals cross-state engagement and grassroots effort rather than a literal focus on her New Hampshire vote.

Before: Not physically shown in the scene; exists as a referenced campaign artifact representing out-of-state volunteer work.

After: Remains a symbolic reference; its invocation has been used to broaden the narrative beyond local curiosities.

View full event

S4E7 · Election Night

Framing the Vote: Country Over State

Abbey invokes 'Chicago ballots' as a rhetorical prop—an offhand claim that humanizes her campaign involvement and broadens the frame beyond New Hampshire, turning the physical ballot into a symbol of national campaign labor.

Before: Not physically shown in the scene but referenced as being filled out elsewhere (Chicago); conceptually in use as Abbey's comic rejoinder.

After: Remains a rhetorical device in Abbey's line; no physical change within the scene.

View full event