History Recap / ParksAndRecreationS04E22

On election day, Leslie and Ben meet with the election commissioner to denounce the voting machines provided by the Sweetums Corporation, which are heavily biased in Bobby Newport's favor. Later, Leslie votes for herself while Bobby has no idea how to work the machine.

During the long day of waiting for results, Leslie gets Ann to distract her and keep her occupied.

Jennifer Barkley offers Ben a six-month job in Washington, D.C., working for a congressional reelection campaign. He would have to leave in two days, but Leslie just wants their lives to get back to normal now that the campaign is over.

At the Parks department, April accidentally deletes ''everything'' from the computer. She calls Andy for help, but he doesn't know what to do. They decide to leave town and spend some time thinking of other jobs they'd like to do. They finally call Donna in, who immediately restores the information: she has long had a separate backup of the files because Jerry often deletes everything by accident.

The team gathers to hear the election results. Jerry is terrified that Leslie will lose by one vote since he didn't get a change to vote. The results show that Bobby won by twenty-one votes, but Ben demands a recount. Jennifer just wants to get out of town, but the election commissioner states that Ben's request is legal.

During the recount process, Leslie and Ben go somewhere quiet to discuss the Washington job. She tells him he should take the job. Ann enters, stating that the results are still twenty-one votes, but this time, Leslie is the winner.

Leslie gives her victory speech. Meanwhile, Ron turns down the job of assistant city manager when Chris offers it to him. Leslie and her friends party hard, and Ann, very drunk, agrees not only to get back together with Tom but also to move in with him. April points out to Andy that most of his dream jobs are in law enforcement, and he should try to become a policeman.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Jennifer Barkley desperately wants to get out of Pawnee, even offering to give Leslie Joe Biden's home phone number if they drop their demand for a recount. When the election commissioner starts a recount, Jennifer has a minor breakdown over it, because she desperately wants to get out the city.

It's election day in Pawnee, and Leslie and Bobby are neck-and-neck in the latest poll. The Election Monitoring chief meets with the candidates and campaign managers and goes over a few details: Pawnee law says that a tie vote between a man and a woman will result in the women being jailed, and Ben successfully gets the rigged election machines (sponsored by Sweetums, which offer a certificate for free candy to the Bobby voters, and ask Leslie voters to first "take a second and think it over" and then show a crying child on the screen if the voters choose her a second time) removed from the precincts.

Tom is organizing the results party because he had a dream that Ann will get back together with him if she enjoys the party.

April asks for Andy's help after she accidentally deletes all of the Parks Department's files. When their attempts to recover them fail, they jokingly plan to move away, change their identities, and get new careers, with all of Andy's careers revolving around law enforcement (like his often used alter ego, FBI agent Burt Macklin).

Bobby's campaign manager Jennifer Barkley, impressed with Leslie's campaign, offers Ben a job working for a congressional reelection campaign in Washington, D.C., but he will need to leave in two days and be there for six months. Ben brings it up with Leslie, who is upset by the news since Ben will move away just as their lives return to normal.

Chris has finally emerged from his depression after having sex numerous times with Jennifer, but he is oblivious that the sex is meaningless to her. At the results party, Jerry – who did not have time to vote – panics when the first few rounds of results give Bobby a slight lead, worrying that Leslie will lose by one vote.

Leslie and Ben try to figure out what to do with Jennifer's offer: Ann suggests Leslie asks Ben to stay, and Ron tells Ben to also remain, citing his own love for routine. Ben reminds him that if Leslie wins, Ron's routine will change since he will become Assistant City Manager. Leslie later asks Ben to stay and he agrees.

April and Andy's troubles are resolved when Donna comes in and reveals that she has a back-up copy of the files because Jerry accidentally deletes files all the time. April later suggests that Andy actually join the Police Department, since all of his dream jobs had to do with law enforcement.

The final results are in and Bobby is declared the winner, but Ben says that the margin of victory (21 votes) is low enough to trigger an automatic recount; Jennifer whines about wanting the election monitors to just call the race so she can leave Pawnee, and offers Leslie Joe Biden's home telephone number if she'll give up, but Ben stands his ground and the monitor leader immediately orders the recount to begin.

Ron finds Leslie in the city council chambers, where she laments letting her friends down after they worked so hard for her. Ron tells her that he and the Parks Department joined her campaign because they care about her and her dream, not the reward of winning. Hearing this, Leslie tells Ben he should accept Jen's job offer.

The recount is in and Ann tells Leslie the margin remained 21 votes... in Leslie's favor, to Leslie's overwhelmed jubilation and Jerry's (and Bobby's) relief. Ben accepts Jennifer's offer and she leaves without saying goodbye to Chris. Ron turns down the Assistant City Manager position, content with his life; Jean-Ralphio returns and asks Chris for the job, but he is turned down immediately.

Leslie asks Ben about the concession speech that he wrote, but he reveals that he never wrote one. She goes on to thank her friends and supporters with a heartfelt speech. Later, a drunk Ann gets back together with Tom and even agrees to move in with him, fulfilling his dream.

On election day, Leslie and Ben confront Jennifer Barkley about the questionable voting machines provided by Sweetums. Jerry goes door-to-door, handing out leaflets. Tom organizes a party for Leslie's campaign.

At the Parks department, April accidentally erases everything on the computer and calls Andy in. When he can't help, they decide to skip town and find new jobs and identities. Donna arrives and quickly restores all the information, having done this often enough because of Jerry.

When the polling ends, Bobby Newport is declared the winner, but by only 21 votes, so Ben calls for a recount. Jennifer objects, mostly because she just wants to get out of Pawnee. She offers Ben a job working on her next campaign.

After the recount, the vote differential is still 21, but this time, Leslie is declared the victor.

* RunningGag: Andy destroying a flat-screened computer monitor or TV.

-->'''Jennifer Barkley:''' "Hold on, we can make a deal..."
-->'''Leslie:''' "There is no deal you could make that we would accept!"
-->'''Barkley:''' "I'll get you Joe Biden's home phone number."
-->'''Leslie:''' "Now hold on, that's interesting..."