1020 Election
The 1020 Irynian gubernatorial election was held on Day 30 of Month 12. Former Iryna PD Inspector Neeka was the victor. It had the highest-ever voter turn-out in Irynian history.
Background
The previous gubernatorial election in Iryna was held in 1017. Reiner, who had previously held the title of District Representative, won in a landslide victory, taking the office of Governor in 1018. He served without incident until Day 6 of Month 5, 1020, when he was abruptly summoned to Oxana by its police force.[1] The Oxana Police, in collaboration with Iryna PD Inspector Neeka, had gathered enough evidence to arrest Reiner for a previously unsolved cold case from six years prior. The Governor's Mansion was thrown into disarray; it was unclear when, or if, Reiner would be returning, or who should lead the Irynian government in Reiner's absence. Historic precedent pointed to the city's Champion as a viable interim leader, but the current Champion was Madeleine, who had little experience with public office and was still legally a minor at the time. To resolve the unstable political situation, Parliament voted to hold a new gubernatorial election at the end of that year. It was reasoned that should Reiner be proven innocent before the election was held, he would be permitted to run for re-election. However, at the conclusion of his trial, Reiner was found guilty on all charges and exiled permanently from both Oxana and Iryna.[2] As such, a new Governor was needed, and preparations for the upcoming election began.
Candidates for Governor
On Day 1 of Month 6, 1020, potential gubernatorial candidates were permitted to begin their political campaigns. Four persons announced their candidacy in interviews with The Inquirer:
- Aemile Lux was a prominent member of the Upper Old Iryna community. Their partner, Ixora Lux, had served as District Representative under Governor Vincere Wray. Aemile had previously filled several roles in Upper Old Irynian local government, but was not currently working at the time of their candidacy. Their stated goal was to "rescue Iryna from a deplorable state of instability and restore order", citing Reiner's election and subsequent removal from government as emblematic of a larger negative shift in Irynian society. Public opinion polling showed that Aemile was not particularly popular or exciting to most Irynians, but was seen as a "safe choice" by voters exhausted by the political turmoil of the preceeding few years.[3]
- Hamis was a well-known figure in Irynian society; he had been a finalist in the Champion Tournament earlier that year, and previously ran a community youth center, providing services such as self-defence classes and legal aid consultation. His outspoken beliefs on justice and morality had also earned him a following on the IrynaNet, although his intractable disposition made him unlikeable to many Irynians, contributing to fears that he would not be capable of working effectively with his colleagues. Hamis declared that if elected Governor, he would "restore the rule of law to Iryna", more aggressively pursuing arrests for Irynians suspected of criminal activity and tightening identification requirements for Irynian residents.[4]
- Neeka was unknown by the vast majority of Irynians until Reiner's arrest earlier in 1020. Neeka's independent investigation of Reiner's criminal history was widely seen as indicative of heroism, dedication, and intelligence that made Neeka a qualified leader for the city. However, her detractors raised the concern that her role in the removal of the previous Governor was a conflict of interest, or at least gave her an unfair advantage over her fellow candidates, who had less time to prepare for their gubernatorial campaigns. Neeka laid out two main priorities: overhauling the dysfunctional Iryna PD into a more accountable law enforcement agency, and working with Champion Madeleine to find a solution to Iryna's homelessness crisis.[5]
- Tria was a popular IrynaNet livestreamer without any previous leadership experience. In her candidacy interview, she admitted that she had no serious hopes of winning the position of Governor; however, she chose to run so that she could promote her personal ideals of compassion and forgiveness. Tria advocated for clemency for individuals who had been unfairly arrested by the Iryna PD, a collaborative approach to protecting vulnerable community members, and a general appeal to empathy for all Irynians. Some skeptics suggested that Tria's success was due to her youthful good looks, but public opinion polls showed that her ideology was more compelling to voters than any particular aspect of her personality or appearance.[6]
Results
Of the estimated 1,259,712 persons of voting age residing in Iryna on Day 30 of Month 12, 1020, a total of 1,049,760 (83.3%) voted in the 1020 election, breaking a record set in the previous 1017 election. Because that election had occurred so recently, the increase in turn-out could not be explained by a simple increase in population; voters appeared to view the election outcome with more urgency and importance than in previous years. Neeka won the gubernatorial election with 49.2% of the vote, followed by Hamis (40.7%), Tria (8.4%) and Aemile Lux (1.7%).[7]
Although Neeka's victory was not especially unexpected by political analysts, her margin of victory was larger than predicted, with Hamis having been considered a very strong contender. The abysmal performance of Aemile Lux was also commented on with surprise, with analysts concluding that it was indicative of public distrust of the once-influential Upper Old Iryna families.[8]
[1] Emergency Announcement, IrynaNet Offical Broadcast (aired: 6-5-1020)
[2] Verdict, Oxana v. Reiner, 1020
[3] "Interview with Aemile Lux", The Inquirer (published: 1-6-1020)
[4] "Interview with Hamis", The Inquirer (published: 1-6-1020)
[5] "Interview with Neeka", The Inquirer (published: 1-6-1020)
[6] "Interview with Tria", The Inquirer (published: 1-6-1020)
[7] Election Results Announcement, IrynaNet Official Broadcast (aired: 30-12-1020)
[8] "Neeka Is Our New Governor", The Inquirer (published: 1-1-1021)
