Voters Review Ballots Under Golden Sunset Light

Warm golden hour light spills through the high arched windows of a council chamber in Basra, illuminating a group of voters standing near a long wooden table. Low-hanging winter clouds outside diffuse the sky into a soft amber glow that catches the dust motes and highlights the crisp texture of paper ballots held in hands. Men in heavy winter coats and traditional head coverings lean in closely, their faces turned toward the documents. The room features intricate geometric tile work along the lower walls and heavy wooden doors that stand slightly ajar. Shadows stretch long across the polished stone floor as the sun dips below the horizon. The scene ends with a close view of a finger tracing a line of Arabic script on a folded paper.