Viewers may be able to participate in a vote to determine who'll be the next President on NBC's The West Wing.

The current season of the series airing in America is showing the final full year in office for President Jeb Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. Half-way through next season, Bartlet will leave office. Currently it is expected that either Alan Alda, who plays Republican Senator Arnold Vinick, or Jimmy Smits - Democrat Representative Matt Santos, will win the race to the fictional White House.

It is understood that neither West Wing's executive producer John Wells nor Martin Sheen favour a viewer vote, although some other cast members - including Alda and Allison Janney, who plays chief of staff C.J. Cregg - have gone on the record as being in support of the idea.