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+# Vote Tracking API Design
+
+## Overview
+
+Extend the REST and WebSocket APIs so clients can track votes at both session and global levels. The primary consumer is a stream overlay (ticker-style display) that already has the admin JWT.
+
+## Approach
+
+**Approach B — Split by resource ownership.** Session-scoped vote data lives under the session resource. Global vote history lives under the vote resource. The WebSocket emits real-time events for live votes only.
+
+## WebSocket: `vote.received` Event
+
+**Trigger:** `POST /api/votes/live` — fires after the vote transaction succeeds, before the HTTP response. Only live votes emit this event; chat-import does not.
+
+**Broadcast target:** Session subscribers via `broadcastEvent('vote.received', data, sessionId)`.
+
+**Payload:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "type": "vote.received",
+  "timestamp": "2026-03-15T20:30:00.000Z",
+  "data": {
+    "sessionId": 5,
+    "game": {
+      "id": 42,
+      "title": "Quiplash 3",
+      "pack_name": "Party Pack 7"
+    },
+    "vote": {
+      "username": "viewer123",
+      "type": "up",
+      "timestamp": "2026-03-15T20:29:55.000Z"
+    },
+    "totals": {
+      "upvotes": 14,
+      "downvotes": 3,
+      "popularity_score": 11
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Implementation notes:**
+- `votes.js` needs access to the WebSocket manager singleton via `getWebSocketManager()`.
+- The existing session games JOIN needs to select `pack_name` from the `games` table.
+
+## REST: `GET /api/sessions/:id/votes`
+
+Per-game vote breakdown for a specific session.
+
+**Location:** `backend/routes/sessions.js`
+
+**Auth:** None (matches `GET /api/sessions/:id/games`).
+
+**Response:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "session_id": 5,
+  "votes": [
+    {
+      "game_id": 42,
+      "title": "Quiplash 3",
+      "pack_name": "Party Pack 7",
+      "upvotes": 14,
+      "downvotes": 3,
+      "net_score": 11,
+      "total_votes": 17
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+**Query:**
+
+```sql
+SELECT
+  lv.game_id,
+  g.title,
+  g.pack_name,
+  SUM(CASE WHEN lv.vote_type = 1 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS upvotes,
+  SUM(CASE WHEN lv.vote_type = -1 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS downvotes,
+  SUM(lv.vote_type) AS net_score,
+  COUNT(*) AS total_votes
+FROM live_votes lv
+JOIN games g ON lv.game_id = g.id
+WHERE lv.session_id = ?
+GROUP BY lv.game_id
+ORDER BY net_score DESC
+```
+
+**Error handling:**
+- Session not found → 404
+- Session exists, no votes → 200 with empty `votes` array
+
+## REST: `GET /api/votes`
+
+Paginated global vote history with flexible filtering.
+
+**Location:** `backend/routes/votes.js`
+
+**Auth:** None.
+
+**Query parameters:**
+
+| Param | Type | Default | Description |
+|-------|------|---------|-------------|
+| `session_id` | integer | — | Filter by session |
+| `game_id` | integer | — | Filter by game |
+| `username` | string | — | Filter by voter |
+| `vote_type` | `up` or `down` | — | Filter by direction |
+| `page` | integer | 1 | Page number |
+| `limit` | integer | 50 | Results per page (max 100) |
+
+**Response:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "votes": [
+    {
+      "id": 891,
+      "session_id": 5,
+      "game_id": 42,
+      "game_title": "Quiplash 3",
+      "pack_name": "Party Pack 7",
+      "username": "viewer123",
+      "vote_type": "up",
+      "timestamp": "2026-03-15T20:29:55.000Z",
+      "created_at": "2026-03-15T20:29:56.000Z"
+    }
+  ],
+  "pagination": {
+    "page": 1,
+    "limit": 50,
+    "total": 237,
+    "total_pages": 5
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Design notes:**
+- `vote_type` returned as `"up"` / `"down"`, not raw `1` / `-1`.
+- `game_title` and `pack_name` included via JOIN.
+- Ordered by `timestamp DESC`.
+- `limit` capped at 100 server-side.
+
+**Error handling:**
+- Invalid filter values → 400
+- No results → 200 with empty array and `total: 0`
+
+## Testing Strategy
+
+### Phase 1: Regression tests (pre-implementation)
+
+Written and passing before any code changes to lock down existing behavior.
+
+**`tests/api/regression-votes-live.test.js`** — existing `POST /api/votes/live`:
+- Returns 200 with correct response shape (`success`, `session`, `game`, `vote`)
+- `game` includes `id`, `title`, `upvotes`, `downvotes`, `popularity_score`
+- Increments `upvotes`/`popularity_score` for upvote
+- Increments `downvotes`/decrements `popularity_score` for downvote
+- 400 for missing fields, invalid vote value, invalid timestamp
+- 404 when no active session or timestamp doesn't match a game
+- 409 for duplicate within 1-second window
+- 401 without JWT
+
+**`tests/api/regression-games.test.js`** — game aggregate fields:
+- `GET /api/games` returns `upvotes`, `downvotes`, `popularity_score`
+- `GET /api/games/:id` returns same fields
+- Aggregates accurate after votes
+
+**`tests/api/regression-sessions.test.js`** — session endpoints:
+- `GET /api/sessions/:id` returns session object
+- `GET /api/sessions/:id` returns 404 for nonexistent session
+- `GET /api/sessions/:id/games` returns game list with expected shape
+
+**`tests/api/regression-websocket.test.js`** — existing WebSocket events:
+- Auth flow (auth → auth_success)
+- Subscribe/unsubscribe flow
+- `session.started` broadcast on session create
+- `session.ended` broadcast on session close
+- `game.added` broadcast on game add
+
+### Phase 2: New feature tests (TDD — written before implementation)
+
+- **`tests/api/votes-get.test.js`** — `GET /api/votes` history endpoint
+- **`tests/api/sessions-votes.test.js`** — `GET /api/sessions/:id/votes` breakdown
+- **`tests/api/votes-live-websocket.test.js`** — `vote.received` WebSocket event
+
+### Workflow
+
+1. Write Phase 1 regression tests → run → all green
+2. Write Phase 2 feature tests → run → all red
+3. Implement features
+4. Run all tests → Phase 1 still green, Phase 2 now green