Set in Winwood, New Jersey, Tom Perrotta's novel "Election" is a story of high school politics and student election drama. Mr. M., a popular history teacher, encourages Paul Warren, a good kid, to run for Student Government Association president against Tracy Flick, a manipulative over-achiever. When Lisa Flanagan decides to be Paul's campaign manager and begins dating him, Paul's sister Tammy (a lesbian who failed to seduce Lisa, her former best friend), decides to run against Paul as well.

Meanwhile, Mr. M. has an affair with the divorced wife, Sherry, of former English teacher Jack Dexter, who himself had an affair with Tracy Flick. The fallout from Dexter's affair resulted in the loss of his job, smashing his car windshield, and returning home to live with his parents. Mr. M.'s affair is revealed to his wife the same day of the election, which Tracy wins. Mr. M., however, rigs the election so that Paul wins.

However, the school janitor, Joe Delvecchio, discovers the ballots Mr. M. threw away, and the real results of the election are revealed. Mr. M. voluntarily quits his job and begins work as a used car salesman, and his wife decides to stay with him. At the end of the next year, Tracy Flick comes to visit Mr. M., seeking at first to humiliate him, and then asks him to sign her yearbook.