A mighty downpour assaulted the city for nearly an hour now, as if as punishment for the citizens lining up to vote at the last possible moment. The winding queue extended down the street, the people huddled against the building walls for a semblance of shelter as they waited for the respite offered by the polling building.
The next couple lucky to enjoy said shelter breathed a sigh of relief as they made it inside, the clerks pointing them in the right direction. The man, in his late twenties, was the first to go into the booths, once again going over the names on the ballot. His mind was already set, in no small part thanks to his better half following behind. Although he was a military man, raised in a military family, his was a rather liberal family, at least by Kusari standards. With the sleazyness of the Dantai and whatever it was the SDPK were trying to accomplish, the choice was quite easy this time around. A strong Kusari, both economically and militarily, that treated its citizens fairly and without discrimination. As such, Kitamura rather confidently put a mark next to the Honshū Unity Party on his ballot, casting it without any doubt. Well, perhaps one, as he absently pondered a most pressing question while waiting for his companion to vote: why did the government bother with paper ballots in this day and age?
After begrudgingly enduring the rainstorm for what felt like an eternity, a sharply dressed woman was finally blessed with an invitation into the building, almost bulldozing past a couple making their way outside. Not unlike the man minutes before her, she was confident in her choice of party, although her motivations were anything but alike. While she didn't exactly flaunt it, it was not difficult to tell the woman was Hogosha, and more than just a simple street thug. A self made woman, or so she thought of herself, she did not usually bother with elections, or politics at large, only concerned with the advancement of her own wealth and career. If one could even call being part of the Hogosha a career, that is. With her past in Hogosha's own entertainment industry, Black Dragon and Silvereye Dragon casinos in particular, the emergence of the Ninkyō Dantai made her pay attention to politics for once. While social or military issues were of little concern, it was the Dantai who put the most intriguing bullet point on their agenda, securing Chou Norio's vote for them as a result. Although she did not hold out much hope for their victory, she couldn't help but feel at least some excitement for the possibilities their presence in the government would offer.
