Upper House Election: Voting Underway in Japan's Upper House Election
The main focus is whether Ishiba's ruling coalition will keep control of the Upper House after the bloc lost its majority in the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, in an election in October.
About 45,000 polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.m. Voting is set to end at 8 p.m., except in some areas, with a rough outcome expected to be known late at night.
Voter turnout as of 2 p.m. stood at 18.51%, down 0.26 percentage point from the previous Upper House election in 2022, the internal affairs ministry said. About 21.45 million people, or some 20% of all eligible voters, cast their ballots for electoral districts by Friday under the early voting system.
In the 248-seat Upper House, 125 seats—75 in electoral districts and 50 for proportional representation—are contested in the election, in which 522 candidates—350 in electoral districts and 172 for proportional representation, ran.
Ishiba has set a goal of winning at least 50 seats for his ruling coalition, which has 75 uncontested seats in the Upper House. If the bloc loses its majority in the chamber as well, Ishiba, who took office in October, could face pressure to step down.
Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, aims to drive the ruling coalition into a minority in the Upper House, eventually leading to a change in government.
Major campaign issues included ways to cushion the impact of higher prices on households. Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party pledged cash benefits for people, while opposition parties called for a consumption tax reduction.
Policies regarding foreign residents were another major issue. Attention is on how far Sanseito, which advocates a 'Japanese First' policy, will expand its Upper House presence.
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