
The game ends if the player is killed (usually while exploring an area), or if they fail to secure the Democratic nomination in August. The President often takes the guise of fictitious reporter "Kevin Bruderman" during these sequences, allowing him to dodge the Secret Service and be placed directly in harm's way. When not in meetings, the player can send President Kennedy throughout the White House, in a first-person adventure interface, or out into the field to collect clues. Other special considerations, like whistle-stop tours and national budget allocations, must also be addressed at points throughout the year. Some days are also taken up completely by crisis meetings, which the player must attend. Gameplay is progressed through meetings, at the end of which the player must make a decision that will affect the progress of that cause (Civil Rights, Vietnam, or Reelection), as well as the player's approval rating at home and abroad. The player only plays one day from each of the 50 weeks of this term. Reelect JFK has players controlling President Kennedy from November, 1963 to Election Day in 1964.
