With the election of the next United States president looming before us, I thought it would be fun to have a contest to see who can predict the correct outcome.

There’s a great WPF application available to help us do just that, too. You can see Chuck Todd use it on a Microsoft Surface device here.

So, if you’re interested, you can go download that application to your desktop (Windows only, sorry), and create your own prediction map. You can then export your predictions to an XML file, and send them to me via email (jeffrey.blankenburg@microsoft.com). Please name your XML file <<YourName>>.xml.

The top 5 closest predictions will win a prize, and the top prize will be a Zune 8 media player. The other 4 winners will receive their choice of either Windows Vista Ultimate or Visual Studio 2008. “Closest” is defined by the number of states you predicted correctly, not the total number of electoral votes.

To use the application,

• Click on a candidate, making it active.
• Click on a state. It will turn the color of the selected candidate.
• If you click a state a second time, it will turn lighter, meaning the state is “leaning” that candidate’s direction. A third time will take it back to gray.
• Click “Save Predictions” to save your choices as XML. Use your name as the file name.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in the contest constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Contest Rules and the decisions of Jeff Blankenburg, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
Eligibility: This Sweepstakes is open to any Microsoft employee or intern; however, any person directly involved in the development or execution of this contest is ineligible to enter.
Entry Period: This Sweepstakes will end on November 3th 2008 at 11:59 PM EST. Any entries recieved after this time will not be counted.
Judging: On or about November 4, 2008, Jeff Blankenburg will evaluate the entries. The decisions of the Judges are final. The odds of winning depend on the relative performance of all entrants and the number of eligible entries received. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within three (3) days after the first attempt to contact him/her, Jeff Blankenburg may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place at random from the remaining entries.
Prizes: Zune 8, Vista Ultimate, VS 2008. Prizes are not transferable or refundable and must be accepted as awarded. No cash or other substitution may be made, except by Jeff Blankenburg, who reserves the right to substitute a prize (or component thereof) with another prize (or component thereof) of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason.
General Conditions: If a selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, or fails to claim a prize within a reasonable amount of time, they will forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be selected. In the event of a dispute the decisions of Jeff Blankenburg are final. By entering, participants release and hold harmless Jeff Blankenburg, Microsoft its subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability or injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Sweepstakes or the use of any prize won. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for Jeff Blankenburg to use winner’s name and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation unless prohibited by law. By entering this Sweepstakes, you signify your acceptance of these Official Rules. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited by law. The winner is responsible for any and all other costs and expenses not listed above. Prizes may be reported as income to a winner and the winner will be responsible for all taxes associated with the receipt of a prize.