Polling ends in Japan’s snap elections as vote counting begins

TOKYO — Polling officially ended across Japan at 8 pm local time (1100GMT) on Sunday after millions of voters cast ballots in the country’s snap elections.

The vote count has begun, a process that may last for several hours, with official results in the House of Representatives elections expected to be announced on Monday.

Over 45,000 polling stations were established across the country for some 105 million eligible voters. Voting began Sunday morning around 7 am local time (2200GMT Saturday) as new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks a new mandate amid scrutiny over scandals within the ruling party.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), alongside its coalition partner Komeito, aims to maintain its majority in the 465-member House of Representatives. However, media polls indicate that they are facing a tough challenge, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Voters cast two ballots—one for single-seat constituency candidates and another for party proportional representation. More than 1,300 candidates vied for the 465 seats, including 289 in single-seat constituencies and 176 in proportional representation.

Ishiba, who just took office on Oct. 1, pledged to tackle inflation and strengthen the country’s defense, but his party faces headwinds over funding scandals.

The opposition, led by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is seeking to capitalize on public discontent to challenge the ruling bloc’s dominance. — Agencies