Arthur Arrives

"No way? Is it that crazy?" Henris was skeptical. Although he knew his good friend wouldn't brag, he still couldn't fully believe it.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, can't you believe me? I bet there were already hundreds of people here when I arrived this morning. I've never seen such a crowded scene in this building before today," Martin said earnestly.

Seeing his friend say this, Henris completely believed him and continued to ask, "Martin, so how many candidates are there today? We won't even be able to get into the State Assembly, will we?"

The sheer number of people made even the usually confident Henris doubt himself. Sydney had the most intense competition in Australia. Even Henris, who was always well-liked, worried he wouldn't even be able to enter the State Assembly.

"Probably over a thousand. I'm afraid there will be thousands of candidates during this week's election. But you don't need to worry too much, Henris. In the decades you've served, haven't you helped hundreds, if not thousands, of families? As long as half of them still remember your kindness, you'll definitely win this election." Martin found his friend's worried expression a bit amusing.

For officials like them in the municipal government, running for councilor already gave them an advantage.

After all, councilors participated in national development and construction through their power. Even a small state councilor could elect a governor and formulate state development policies.

This also meant that the position required a certain political talent, which was an advantage they had over ordinary Australians.

Furthermore, Henris had been quietly helping many impoverished families in Sydney, which had earned him a good reputation in Sydney's political circles.

With all these factors combined, Henris was one of the most advantageous candidates. Even if he failed to win and couldn't enter the Lower House, getting into the State Assembly was more than enough.

"I hope so. Anyway, the councilor elections are held every two years. If I can't get into the Lower House this time, won't there be another chance next time?" After his friend's encouragement, Henris felt more at ease and gradually relaxed.

Not long after, a path was suddenly cleared in the crowded State Assembly. Several guards walked in with a roster, stood in the center, signaled for quiet, and then announced, "Everyone, by order of His Highness the Duke, the Australian Duchy's first Lower House election officially begins! Here is a roster. Those who wish to participate in this election can come and register. Once registered, you will be official candidates. During this week until the 17th, you can give speeches and campaign throughout the Sydney constituency, but you are not allowed to resort to bribery or coercion. At the same time, all candidates' own votes will be considered void; only votes cast by others for you will be counted. Voting closes at 24:00 on the 17th. Votes submitted after the deadline will be invalid. These are the rules. Those who wish to run can now line up here to register."

This scene was replicated in all cities designated as constituencies. Because it was the Australian Duchy's first Lower House election, these guards were responsible for supervising the election process and explaining the specific election process and rules to everyone participating.

The guards specifically emphasized the prohibition of bribery and coercion to influence others' votes, which were matters Arthur had explicitly forbidden throughout the entire voting process.

"Martin, let's go. If we wait any longer, who knows how long we'll have to wait!" Seeing the long line forming in front of the guards, Henris quickly urged his friend.

For Australians, casting a vote was simple: they just needed to register their name, address, and the candidate they supported, and it would be considered a successful vote.

However, for a candidate, winning the election was not easy at all.

After all, Sydney alone would see thousands of candidates emerge within this week. To stand out among these thousands and become one of the few dozen to enter the Lower House was as difficult as scaling the heavens.

But once one entered the Lower House, they would enter the upper echelons of the Australasian political institutions and gain the qualification to be elected into the cabinet.

It was even possible, with good luck and Arthur's trust, to enter the Upper House.

Perhaps driven by the dream of personally developing their country, perhaps to fulfill their ambition as politicians, or perhaps just out of curiosity to try participating in an election, the Lower House election was welcomed by most Australians.

May 10th, 10 PM.

When Arthur saw Sydney's election data for the day, he was greatly surprised.

In Sydney alone, 1,342 candidates had emerged in just one day, and 96,300 votes had been cast.

The candidate with the most votes had already received nearly 500 votes, gaining a significant initial advantage in the election.

This made Arthur very curious about the election situation, and he decided to personally visit the election site.

May 17th, Sydney, New South Wales State Parliament.

This was the final day of the entire Australasian Lower House election and the craziest day of the election process.

After six days of campaigning, Sydney alone had produced over 5,300 candidates, and over 205,000 votes had been cast.

Although the statistical data from other states had not yet reached Arthur due to the short timeframe, it could be inferred from Sydney's data that the number of participants in this election was definitely not low, far exceeding Arthur's original estimates.

It was precisely because it was the last day of the election that Arthur decided to personally visit the election site and, at the same time, win over some public support.

In the familiar State Parliament building, Martin and Henris were standing outside, discussing their respective vote counts.

Since it was the last day of the election, even with more speeches today, the number of votes gained would be very small.

Therefore, Martin and Henris decided to leave it to fate and see if their efforts over the past few days would yield results and if they could enter the Lower House of their dreams.

Just then, they suddenly heard loud shouts from the crowd: "His Highness is here! His Highness is here!"

"His Highness is here? Come on, let's go see! If we're late, we really won't be able to squeeze in," Martin said excitedly, pulling his friend towards the source of the sound.

On the road outside the State Parliament, Arthur was slowly alighting from his carriage. While adjusting his attire, he smiled and waved to the excited and fervent crowd around him.

First update, requesting various votes!