Early voting starts for Japan's Upper House election
Official campaigning for the election kicked off on Thursday. A total of 522 people are running in the election -- either those competing in electoral districts or running under the proportional representation system. Key election issues include how to tackle rising prices and the future of social security.
People who may not be able to cast their ballots on election day due to travel, work or other reasons are eligible to vote early.
Polling stations set up by municipalities are basically open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The number of early voters has been increasing since the system was introduced in 2003. In the previous Upper House election in 2022, 35.9 percent of voters, or about 19.6 million people, cast early ballots.
The Internal Affairs Ministry says the venues for polling stations include university campuses, shopping centers and railway stations to encourage more people to cast their ballots.
The ministry says some polling stations are opening earlier than 8:30 a.m. or closing later than 8 p.m. for the convenience of voters who work on weekdays.
Early voting will continue through July 19, the day before the election.
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