City Votes to Replace Voting With Real-Time Mood Tracking

By K. Rithm, Sentiment Compliance Editor, Future News 2225

POLISYNC DISTRICT-9 (FORMERLY SAN DIEGO) — In a bold attempt to “streamline democracy and eliminate voter fatigue,” the City-State of Polisync has officially replaced all municipal elections with real-time biometric mood tracking.

Beginning this week, residents will no longer cast ballots. Instead, emotion-sensing lampposts, ambient audio monitors, and public toilet sentiment scanners will feed mood data directly into the governance algorithm, which then appoints officials whose vibes most closely align with the city’s collective frequency.

Mayor Pro Tem Calyx Duve called the update “a revolution in emotionally representative government.”

“Polling stations are outdated,” Duve told press via hologram. “Why ask people what they want when you can measure how disappointed they are and work backward?”

The system, dubbed “HeartVote™”, uses an adaptive mood-to-policy conversion model. For example:

• Three consecutive days of citywide melancholy now auto-triggers rent freeze extensions.

• Sudden spikes in ambient irritability during rush hour may result in the immediate resignation of traffic ministers.

  
  

Critics have raised ethical concerns, including:

• Alleged algorithmic bias toward “calm but affluent” neighborhoods.

• The city’s decision to reroute anxious citizens away from government buildings during key legislative updates.

• The use of neural lace headbands at concerts and grocery stores without explicit consent.

  
  

“I tried to protest by looking visibly neutral for a week,” said resident Wren Tal, “but the system interpreted it as deep civic trust. Now I’m listed as a nominee for Comptroller.”

Supporters argue the new system is simply more efficient than traditional voting.

“No lines, no campaign spam, and no confusing ballot measures,” said HeartVote™ spokesperson Neena Span. “Just passive participation... the way democracy was meant to feel.”

Polisync’s New Democracy: Where Streetlights Read Your Soul.

Next on the docket: Whether weddings and divorces should be resolved by shared mood resonance, skipping the need for any spoken commitment—or conflict.