Photo: (MTV)
By Joe Lazauskas
As Election Day creeps closer and closer, the stakes get bigger and bigger -- both for the candidates on the campaign trail and you in your Fantasy Election league. That MTV Fantasy Election grand prize of $25,000 in cash and dream trip to the VMAs is in sight, and so is the moment when America will elect the men and women who will determine American policy for the next two or four years.
+Know the stakes
A lot is at stake. Taxes. Marriage. Education. Health Care. The chance for an unforgettable night at the VMAs, where you wake up the next morning wearing a werewolf costume and a pink tiara, sitting in a bathtub next to Ke$ha. Believe us, it could happen. At least the $25,000 and trip to the VMAs part. So make sure you're aware of the plethora of prizes you're pursuing. Some fun facts:
+ In addition to the ultra-sweet grand prize, there are 5 other mega-sweet prizes: a first place prize of $10,000 in cash, and 4 incredible second place electronics prize packages.
+ There are at least 7 weekly prizes every week. But usually more. Five winners will be chosen amongst those who answer special Levi's Daily Challenge every Monday through October 22nd. Answering the special Lenovo challenge enters you to win a sleek Lenovo Ultrabook laptop. And reigning atop your leaderboard from Monday to Sunday enters you into a sweepstake for sweet prizes like a Kindle Fire or $250 American Express card.
+ You can win a $25 Amazon or iTunes gift card every day. Just correctly answer a Daily Challenge question.
4. Seriously, answering those Daily Challenge questions is more lucrative than most internships. (And more informative.)
+Rack Up Bonus Points
There's only one way to get your hands on one of those 4 second-place prize packages: rack up Bonus points. Even if your fantasy politicians are stinking it up on the campaign trail, you can still catapult to the top of the Standings by doing things like checking into political programming on GetGlue (100 points), reading articles on BuzzFeed Politics or Politico (10 points/article), and signing up to remember to vote (1,000 points).
Those with the most bonus points in their league will be entered to win one of 4 electronic packages that includes a Sony 55" LED Smart 3D HDTV, Sony 3D Smart Blu-ray Home Theater System AND an iPad 3. Check out all the ways you can earn big bonus points here.
+Perfect Your Lineup
If the politicians on your team aren't performing up to par, know that you can elect to drop them -- just like on Election Day.
Last week, Mitt Romney racked up 1,800 points, mostly from campaign events. A slew of town halls and a positive rating from opensecrets.org helped carry President Obama to a huge 760 point week, but it's not just the big dogs piling up points. Tim Griffin, an Incumbent Republican Congressman from Arkansas, generated a 574 point week, thanks to a 90.8% disclosure rate from opensecrets.org, and strong social media engagement. Griffin knows how to work Facebook better than Zuck himself.
Check out the candidate leaderboard and make sure you know which politicians give you the best chance at victory. Lineup tip: This week, look for Mitt Romney. He's got a lot of town halls lined up, which will give him 300 engagement points a piece.
