During the run-up to the 2020 presidential election (and also during a global pandemic), many members of the West Wing cast reunited in person to perform a staged reading of the episode "Hartsfield's Landing" as a benefit for When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that aims to increase voter participation and close the race and age gap in elections. West Wing regulars reprising their roles included Dulé Hill (Charlie Young), Allison Janney (C. J. Cregg), Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn), Janel Moloney (Donna Moss), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler), Martin Sheen (President Bartlet), and Bradley Whitford (Joshua Lyman). Because John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry on the series, died in 2005, Sterling K. Brown stepped into his role. The benefit also featured interstitial guest appearances from When We All Vote co-founders Lin-Manuel Miranda (a West WIng superfan) and Michelle Obama.
The fictional town in the episode is based on Dixville Notch, an unincorporated small village in the Dixville township of Coos County, New Hampshire, USA. Dixville Notch is best known in connection with its longstanding middle-of-the-night vote in the U.S. Presidential Election, including during the New Hampshire primary. Since 1960, voters cast their ballots at midnight and polls officially close one minute later. Ever since 1968, the candidate who comes out on top in Republican Primary has been the eventual Republican nominee for President. Twenty-six voters took part in the 2004 elections.
In the scene with Toby (Richard Schiff) and the President (Martin Sheen) playing chess in the Oval Office. Toby opens with 1. e4, while 1. e4 could be part of many chess openings, the Evans Gambit is a real opening and is actually played out by the two actors in this scene.
The vote taking place at Hartsfield's Landing is ambiguous. Chronologically, the episode occurs during the primaries and not on the day of the general election. Yet Donna (Janel Moloney)'s conversations indicate that the voters are choosing between a Republican and the president as if they were voting in the general election. This could be because in New Hampshire, as of the episode's release date, those not registered with any party are free to vote in any party's primary election.
Taiwan was under martial law from 1948 to 1991. As a result, the elections were tightly controlled including prohibiting opposition parties. The restrictions were repealed on May 1, 1991. Since then several democratic measures have been adopted into the Taiwanese Constitution including universal suffrage.