Japan General Election Turnout 3rd Lowest in Postwar History

Tokyo, Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)--Voter turnout for single-seat constituencies in Sunday’s general election in Japan stood at 53.85 pct, the third lowest in post-World War II history, according to internal affairs ministry data released Monday.

The figure was down 2.08 percentage points from 55.93 pct in the previous election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of parliament, in 2021. The postwar low of 52.66 pct was marked in the 2014 Lower House poll.

By prefecture, the highest voter turnout in Sunday’s election was 60.82 pct in Yamagata, northeastern Japan, and the lowest was 48.40 pct in Hiroshima, western Japan. Voter turnout stood at 54.30 pct among men and 53.42 pct among women.

Some experts believe that the sluggish readings reflected delays in work by regional election boards to send out poll cards to voters due to the short interval between the Oct. 9 Lower House dissolution and the Oct. 15 start of the official campaign period for the election, as well as voters’ falling interest in politics mainly because of the high-profile slush funds scandal at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Normally, low voter turnout tends to benefit political parties with organizational power. This time, however, the LDP and its coalition partner, Komeito, struggled in Sunday’s election despite having powerful support bases.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]