This is my entry for a friend’s contest:

1. The number of electoral votes collected by the winner of the election. (4 points per place.) —293
The official electoral tally will be taken as a measure of the number of states won by the winning candidate. At this time, the number will not be subject to the whims of faithless electors.

2. The number of states won by the winner of the election. (3 points per place) —22
For the purposes of this question, Washington, D.C. is a state. Of course, the election winner can win fewer states than the election loser.

3. John Kerry’s percentage of the national popular vote. (2 points per place)—48.83%

4. George W. Bush’s percentage of the national popular vote. (2 points per place)—47.67%
Your responses to questions 3 and 4 need not total 100 percent. Of course, the election winner can have the lower percentage of the national popular vote.

5. John Kerry’s percentage of the popular vote in the state of Texas. (1 point per place)—38.51%

6. George W. Bush’s percentage of the popular vote in the state of Massachusetts. (1 point per place)—34.24%

7. The number of states in which any 3rd party candidate collects more than 3 percent of the popular vote. (2 points per place)—3

8. The winning candidate. (The number of points awarded for 1st place in question 1.)—Kerry

If the election is close, this question may have to wait to be settled until the electoral votes are counted by the Congress. This question could be subject to the whims of faithless electors.