Japanese voters are casting ballots today in a snap parliamentary election called by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Just months after she was elected by lawmakers, Takaichi decided to go to the polls to seek the public’s mandate. If the coalition of Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party with the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, wins 310 seats, it would be able to override the opposition-controlled upper chamber.
She has vowed to step down if the coalition loses its majority. Nearly 4.6 million people had cast early ballots as of a week ago, down 2.5 per cent from the previous election in 2024, with the decline attributed to heavy snow in the northern and western regions. Voters will pick lawmakers in 289 single-seat constituencies, with the rest decided by proportional-representation votes for parties.
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