TOKYO — Japanese voters are casting their ballots in a lower house election on Sunday amid swirling uncertainty over the race. The focus will be on whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition can maintain its majority, and what the results of the poll will mean for new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Voting ends at 8 p.m., with results starting to roll in later in the evening and into the following morning.
Here’s the latest (Japan time):
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Sunday, Oct. 27
6:15 p.m. The voter turnout rate was 24.32% as of 4 p.m., down 2.46% from same time in the previous election, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. About 20.95 million voters, or 20.11% of those eligible, cast early ballots.
6 p.m. We are now just two hours away from the close of voting. Once the polling stations close, initial exit polls and media projections will provide a picture of how the night might play out. Most results are expected to be confirmed by the early hours of Monday.
While we wait, please take a look at some of our coverage during the campaign:
– Japan’s uncertain lower house election outlook: What’s at stake?
– 5 ways Japan’s elections are unique
– Japan’s ruling LDP faces tightening races in final election stretch
– Japanese politicians’ vow to up minimum wage by 40% raises concerns
And here’s the key line from our story this morning: Predictions by the media hint at a tough battle for the LDP, with Nikkei surveys showing a close race in nearly half of single-seat electoral districts.
Below is a chart showing the makeup of the lower house before parliament was dissolved for the election.
