Election night will be the closest GW will come to having a big football game-like atmosphere this fall.

As the votes are being tallied Tuesday night, most students will be anxiously awaiting results in the Marvin Center or staying glued to a television at one of the many election-themed parties being held in apartments, clubs and restaurants across the city.

One of the best attended parties will be the “Election Day Bash” in the Marvin Center from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Ted Kornobis, vice president of the College Democrats, said he is expecting a couple thousand students to attend the event. A smaller Marvin Center gathering for the first presidential debate drew more than 500 students.

The Program Board, College Democrats and GW College Republicans will host the Nov. 2 party, which will transform the Continental Ballroom into the pro-John Kerry “Blue Room” featuring an American Gladiator combat arena and blue food. The Grand Ballroom, located next door on the third floor, will turn into the “Red Room” with a “Heartland of America” theme, a mechanical bull and red snacks.

The Hippodrome will serve as a “Neutral Room” where students can watch the races on different television networks.

“We are very excited and pumped up about election night. This will certainly be the biggest election while we’re in college and we are looking forward to seeing the GW community come together for it,” Kornobis said.

The event will also feature giveaways, trivia, face-painting and a magician.

“GW is the most political school in the country, so we figured we should have the best Election Day events in the country as well,” said Dan Secatore, the Program Board’s political affairs chair.

A presidential cook-off will take place in Kogan Plaza Tuesday afternoon and will serve Texas Barbeque, New England clam chowder and Fenway franks, all staple cuisines of the home states of President Bush and Kerry.

There will also be a “Capital Hill Petting Zoo” with a live donkey and a person in an elephant suit.

Other students plan on throwing election parties of their own.

“Everyone is planning to party while the votes are tallied,” freshman Colleen Fischer said.

Fischer said she is looking forward to playing election-themed drinking games with her friends.

“We think the election is going to be really close, so we are going to drink five shots for every point difference between Bush and Kerry,” she said.

Freshman Ali Glisson said she will celebrate the election no matter who wins and plans to wear a T-shirt that reads, “I Like to Get it On With Boys Who Vote.”

Getting it on might have just gotten easier in Thurston Hall, where residents of the building’s third floor have registered their room on Votergasm.org, an online voter initiative campaign encouraging young people to pledge to have sex with voters on election night and withhold sex from nonvoters.

The site encourages voters to host election night Votergasm parties.

On the site, the hosts encourage students to log onto thefacebook.com, a student networking system, to contact freshmen living in Thurston to obtain access into the building. Sponsors of the party could not be reached for comment.

Senior Marc Weinreich said he supports election night Votergasm parties.

“Sex is a good thing and voting is a good thing. So having sex with voters is a great thing,” Weinreich said.

Sophomore Brian Dew said he plans to attend one of the many off-campus election events.

“I will be celebrating George W. Bush’s victory and four more years of glory at a local politically charged club,” Dew said.

Dozens of area bars and clubs will be holding election parties Tuesday night.

Club MCCXXIII, near Dupont Circle, will throw a party sponsored in part by the national youth voting drive Rock the Vote. The Black Cat, a popular U Street concert hall, is holding an Election Night Remix with DJ Spooky, Noskilz Sound and Video Syndicate. Buffalo Billiards, Hawk and Dove and Tequila Grill are also promoting Nov. 2 festivities.