The day began early, battling LA’s notorious traffic, as I made my way to a business meeting with the Prime Minister and his delegation. Despite the usual congestion, it was a big relief not to witness any highway accidents—a small victory to start the day. The morning was highly productive, filled with insightful discussions. It was also great to reconnect with some old and meet new friends. When the event wrapped up, I immediately checked in with my Indelible Team. Our Election Lab 2024 game platform is nearing completion. Everyone has been excited. Despite working hard, several key tasks still remain. Our workload feels monumental, but the finish line is in sight.
Election Lab Online LIVE event
From one meeting to the next, the day moved at a relentless pace. After a quick check-in with the social media team and seeing some posts go live, I shifted focus to the evening’s Election Lab Online LIVE event. My team was ready.
Although the event was scheduled for 6 pm, by 5:50 pm, participants were already gathering in the Zoom room, building anticipation for the session. As more people joined, we kicked things off with brief introductions, followed by individual game matchups.
Election Lab 2024 Gameplays
With Election Lab game, we’re simulating the 2024 US Presidential Election. Our gameplay is unique: the only multiplayer game that, to our knowledge, exists on that topic. As the game plays started, the enthusiasm from the players was palpable and infectious.
“I need to register,” mentioned one player, highlighting the feature we created. We aim for an immersive authenticity of one-on-one presidential battles. Stuart explained that some cutting-edge features were still being optimized. Nonetheless, educators were already eager to subscribe to Election Lab so they can get it into their classrooms. They believe this type of learning activity would be extremely enriching for their students.
The Election Lab game quickly drew participants in. Some of the game’s features, like event cards, added to the complexity of this game.
During gameplay, the tactical depth of the Election Lab quickly became evident. Players were caught up in the dynamic between placing resources and anticipating what their opponent did. Dice rolls added to unpredictability of the outcomes and sparked a lively discussion.
“Ah, the good ol’ 6 dice vs zero dice,” one player exclaimed, followed by an intense “11 dice vs 3” showdown. Friendly rivalry and laughter filled the virtual room, with players exclaiming, “Good game, George!” and “Oh my God, Dr C, terrible luck!”—reminiscent of classic gaming nights.
“I don’t want to be red,” one player humorously noted, capturing the emotional engagement of the game. The assignment of playing either red or blue presidential candidate was random. As gameplay evolved, participants discovered that winning a state could trigger their opponent receiving an event card, adding layers of complexity and tactical depth to the game.
Post-Gameplay Discussion
Once the game ended, a deeper discussion emerged.
Swing States in Presidential Elections
We discussed the changing landscape of swing states in the 2024 election. What used to be ten pivotal states had now been reduced to eight, with VP Kamala Harris’s nomination affecting the number. Some argued only three swing states—Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina—remained truly critical. Which ones will go for red (Trump Presidential candidate in this election) and which ones will go to blue (Harris Presidential candidate in this election)?
Data Science in Presidential Elections
The conversation transitioned seamlessly into polling data, statistics, and presenting these concepts effectively within the game. Stuart passionately explained the behind-the-scenes work that went into the algorithms, from his early (and lengthy) Excel sheets to the complex automation now in place. The logistics curves, in particular (the newest addition), helped visualize the election process intuitively, benefiting both players and educators.
Strategies in Presidential Elections
One player, Jordan, who had first played our Election Lab 2016 board game at the 2019 Connected Learning Summit, was amazed by the online version. He shared his surprise at how opponents abandoned Pennsylvania, causing him to waste resources—a reminder of how unpredictable election strategies can be.
Players also began saving event cards they received when losing a state. They were able to use them later on higher-electoral-vote states (depending on their swing state strategy). The unpredictability of the game mirrored real-life elections, where rapid shifts depend on your opponent’s strategy. The ongoing question— “Am I losing because of bad luck or poor strategy?”—made for engaging reflection afterwards.
Deeper Understanding of Presidential Elections
As the evening progressed, we delved into a broader conversation about data literacy and the importance of teaching students how to interpret graphs, margins of error, and polling predictions. The game is designed not just as entertainment but as an educational tool to empower learners to understand elections on a deeper level.
Discussions underscored the balance of luck versus strategy, mirroring real life and giving Election Lab extra dose of authenticity.
How do you teach data literacy effectively? How can we make interpreting graphs and curves intuitive? Insights shared included the importance of practical resources for teachers and the transformative potential of teaching statistics through gameplay.
Stuart elaborated on how to teach statistics through gameplay, helping learners interpret data like margins of error and probabilities with confidence. Practical resources for teachers were highlighted as essential, sparking enthusiasm from educators in attendance.
A Full Circle Moment
A truly magical full-circle moment unfolded during the event. One of the players, Kutub, became intrigued by whether winning in the game was a matter of luck or statistical probability. He has been contemplating this idea and shared his thoughts on the role of statistics in winning. The concept he presented—a simulation of election outcomes based on statistical models—was identical to one Stuart had devised years ago. Stuart had presented this very Election Simulator at the 2019 Connected Learning Summit, and it was later published in the summit proceedings.
That same 2019 summit was where we first met Jordan, a PhD student at UCI at the time. We had several discussions at a time, about collaborating and creating a university-level statistics course using Election Lab. Subsequently, we lost touch over the years.
In a serendipitous turn of events, we reconnected at tonight’s Election Lab Live event. Having heard about the gameplay session earlier that day, Jordan canceled his other commitments to join. The twist of fate came when Kutub’s statistical simulation mirrored the exact concepts we had presented at the summit where we initially met Jordan. It was a beautiful full-circle moment—a convergence of ideas and connections from years ago, now coming to life again in real time.
A Truly Magical Gathering
By the end of the night, it was clear that Election Lab is more than just a game. Election Lab is a powerful platform for exploring complex ideas, discovering new strategies, and engaging in meaningful conversations. It was a truly magical gathering of brilliant minds, uncovering new educational paradigms in a dynamic, engaging, innovative format.
As the evening drew to a close, the conversation naturally shifted to the technical challenges and opportunities we face, particularly in enhancing cross-device accessibility. The evening had been filled with both playful competition and deep learning, perfectly capturing the essence of what Election Lab stands for: a space where strategy, education, and innovation converge seamlessly.
Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley MD, FACP, FHM is a multiple award-winning physician, from cancer researcher, internal medicine physician, and Medical School Associate Clinical Professor to entrepreneur. She has mentored many undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students and faculty. She is the Principal Investigator on studies from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education creating research-driven #edtech games and digital media to improve health, civics, science education, and healthy habits. Dr Criley is also a founding Board member of Physician’s Weekly. She can be reached on X at @criley_md and at www.linkedin.com/in/jasminka-criley-md