Shot in Payne’s native Omaha, Nebraska, Election caustically reinvents the genre of the high-school movie as it follows the machinations that surround a campaign for student council president in a suburban school. Boldly tackling issues of teenage sexuality, cruelty, and self-absorption, Payne explores the persistence of these traits long past the adolescent years into their adult incarnations. A biting satire of the American electoral process and moral hypocrisy, Election caught the attention of both critics and audiences for its scathingly humorous snapshot of a pre-millennial America.