People from all over the world were experiencing the unique "charm" of federal elections for the first time! The Nine Great Casinos had opened betting pools on the twenty gubernatorial candidates. After an intense round of voting in December, the twenty candidates would be whittled down to just seven, who would enter the true candidate roster.
All of Slem seemed to be drumming up support for the election. Aside from major events such as the gladiatorial arena and horse races, which would be broadcast on television, less important programs had all had their airtime taken over.
The twenty candidates took turns delivering their campaign platforms on television and radio. The Flower Cars that had once been used to carry passengers through the streets had now been taken over by the gubernatorial candidates.
On the busiest streets, one could even see three teams of Flower Cars, each carrying a candidate team from a different faction, working hard to promote themselves!
Activities like taking photos together in exchange for chips, shaking hands in exchange for chips, and filling out questionnaires in exchange for chips could be seen every few steps.
Although the final decision on the gubernatorial candidate here did not rest with the locals but with the Federal Presidential Palace, public opinion still existed! Moreover, federal politicians were extremely cunning. They had hired highly professional consulting firms at astronomical prices to monitor Slem's public support levels around the clock.
Public opinion could not determine who would ultimately become governor, but it could influence the Federal President's decision! If he completely ignored public support and chose a candidate with low approval ratings, certain minor problems would inevitably arise.
For example, someone might cause him "trouble" by asking questions like, "How did you decide to choose a candidate lacking public support as governor?"