Voters in Okinawa today placed further strain on Japan's security ties with the U.S. with the near-certain election of a governor opposed to the relocation of Futenma, U.S. marine base on the southern Japanese island. Polls had shown the candidates were neck-and-neck on the eve of the election. "Both candidates have run on a platform of backtracking on the original agreement, so it's now extremely difficult to go ahead with the Futenma relocation," said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University, Japan Campus.