Election (1999 Film) - Pre-production and Direction

Pre-production and Direction

Much of the film was shot in and around the Omaha area including Dundee, Elkhorn, Bellevue, Carter Lake, and Papillion. Other scenes were filmed in New York (including the college scene, which was actually filmed at Adelphi University on Long Island) and Washington D.C. Production shut down for about a month when a freak fall snowstorm hit Omaha in October 1997, knocking down trees and power lines.

Omaha locations used during production include:

• Papillion La Vista Senior High School serves as the setting for George Washington Carver High School. Payne had initially aimed to use Millard North High School in Omaha, but the School Board of Millard found the script too obscene and inappropriate. The setting was then moved to Papillion-La Vista High School which explains why the background noise from the school can be heard during much of the film, by actual teachers and students, because filming took place during the 1997-98 school year.
• The Godfather's Pizza where Dave visits with Tracy is located at 7920 S. 84th St. in LaVista.
• The parking lot where Jim throws away Tracy's nomination signatures in a dumpster was filmed on the corner of N. 50th St. and Underwood Ave. The Carl S. Baum Druggists building in the scene is currently a Subway restaurant.
• Linda's house is located at 683 Parkwood Ln.
• The Metzler house is located on S. 187 Cir. along the Shadow Ridge Country Club south of Elkhorn.
• Younkers is located in the Westroads Mall.
• The soccer field at Brownell-Talbot School was used for the Immaculate Heart soccer game.
• The American Family Inn (also credited as Rodeway Inn) is located at 1110 Fort Crook Road in Bellevue.