Campaign Season

Duumvirian Elections

The Duumvirian solar system is nestled nicely in the outer middle sort of area of a painfully average spiral arm of exactly the kind of resource rich galaxy that life tends to flourish in.  The resident, dominant species has all the trademark advancements of an evolved society as defined by the Galactic Counsel's Species Index.  They had long ago set up the necessary infrastructure to absorb and bounce energy and heat from their sun with gigantic satellite mounted mirrors and solar panels that collect, concentrate and blast the atomic necessities of life to companion stations orbiting the solid planets and moons made home to by a carefully balanced and diverse population.  They had discovered and systematically exploited the perpetual water supply found in all decent solar systems, and the supply routes were well automated.  The asteroids and meteors were well mined in a sustainable fashion.  Things should have been fine for these folks, they had everything they needed to be just like all the other affluent solar systems and species with above average levels of intelligence and ingenuity.

But things were not fine.

It was hard to pinpoint exactly when the Duumvirians drifted away from their democratic society into the first known case in the Universe of a Perpetual Election Cycle, but it was well known by neighbouring, nearby civilizations to avoid prolonged interaction with the Duumvirians these days.   They were a lost cause, headed for imminent system failure and now was a good time to watch from a safe distance as they sputtered to an inevitable crash and burn.  Researchers and Academics were taking notes, cobbling together documentaries and circling the system like sharks were untold numbers of System Imposing Development Groups stockpiling armies and disgruntled colonists, ready to swoop in and set up their own proven (or at least semi-functional) forms of governance once Duumviri collapsed entirely.  It was only a matter time.  A very short amount of it by most estimates, so there was no point in rushing things.

The only activity that occurs on the planets of Duumviri these days are related to or a direct result of their Lead-Ruler elections.  Literally nothing is done except for the campaigning, winning and losing of elections.  Schools that once taught knowledge, such as satellite-mirror-panel installation - or launching and maintenance thereof, or water harvesting and sustainability practices, were now entirely focused on teaching the next generation how important elections were, how much they needed to be a part of them, and how every one of them might one day be able to win one, hopefully several, and eventually win the ultimate Election, that of the Lead-Ruler.  

Status and advancement in society in Duumviri is entirely based on ones ability to give speeches, deflect questions, obtain applause breaks and generate votes.  A whole population subset permanently lives inside arenas and halls as there is a never-ending requirement for the preparation and participation of debates and rallies.  The asinine interviewing of people outside of debate halls and rallies is tantamount to what was once the highest levels of intellect, and every voter trains endlessly in preparation for being plucked out of a crowd and asked some generic questions about any number of ongoing elections.    "Undecided Voters" are immediately thought of as highly valuable citizens, even though most of them have actually decided long ago, they just like feeling wanted and having people try to win them over.  If anyone was ever to accurately find out how many "Undecided Voters" there actually were, self-proclaimed, or how many of these had actually decided and just wanted to be courted and viewed as interesting - they would find the numbers staggeringly revealing.  But despite the sheer volume of Companies and Organizations devoted to polling - for some reason probing this area of society is never considered a worthwhile endeavour.  Odd.

There are billions of round the sun political news networks.  In fact, there is no other form of news or entertainment.  There is no Sports section, no Arts and Culture reports and certainly no mention of what the Lead-Ruler is doing unless it pertains to the changing of election rules, or whether or not they'll be running for re-election, or stepping down to make room for an up and coming new candidate.  However that is taken care of with votes in the Commons.  The giving of passionate speeches is so frequent that the permanent damage of vocal cords is so common that an entire industry of artificial-computer speech repairment and replacement is so lucrative that it funds much of the news networks and candidates, leading to ever more passionate speeches, larger crowds, and a never-ending stream of voice-boxes needing computerized artificial repairment... or replacement. Polling, and vibrant debate coverage are the two most prominent careers.  Soap Boxes are literally everywhere, as are Soap Box sales booths, traveling Soap Box salesmen, and of course Soap Box alteration technicians and Soap Box decal and frills bedazzlers.  Numerous other forms of stages are also prominent across the solar system, and elaborate PA systems and button/flag factories.  Button /Flag factories employ 150% of the population as many work at several of both.  Everyone thinks they're going to start their own groundbreaking Button / Flag factory that will guarantee victory... but always end up making basically the same "Candidate Name plus red and/or blue color scheme"  as that tends to be what wins elections.  And winning elections is what it's all about.