Voting got under way across Japan on Sunday for a general election, as newly installed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks a fresh mandate, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported today.
The Liberal Democratic Party, along with its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, aims to retain a majority in the 465-member House of Representatives, but media polls have indicated they are facing headwinds.
In the first general election since 2021, each voter casts two ballots -- one to choose a candidate in a single-seat constituency and the other to select a party for proportional representation. The final election results are expected to be clear by early Monday.
Some 1,300 candidates are vying for the 465 seats - 289 in single-seat districts and 176 through proportional representation.
Ishiba dissolved the lower house on 9th October, only eight days after taking office, vowing to restore public trust in politics and forge ahead with key policy initiatives.
The 67-year-old premier has pledged to prioritize easing the negative impact of inflation on households, bolstering Japan's defenses against security threats from its neighbors and enhancing regional economies and disaster resilience.