Lokmani Rijal, Japan : already cast their votes ahead of Japan’s upcoming Upper House election scheduled for July 20. According to Japanese media outlet NHK, early voting has seen a notable increase, as Japanese voters are allowed to vote before election day at their convenience.

Reports indicate a 27% increase in early voter turnout compared to the previous election. Various political parties in Japan are actively engaged in their election campaigns.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, a total of 9,885,919 voters cast their ballots between July 4 and July 13 — the 10-day period following the official election announcement. This figure represents approximately 9.48% of the total electorate.

Compared to the same period during the previous Upper House election three years ago, this marks an increase of 2,099,000 voters, or 26.96%.

In the 2022 Upper House election, a record 19.61 million voters — 35.9% of the total electorate — voted early, marking the highest early turnout in the election’s history.

Early voting will remain open until July 19, one day before the official election date. The Ministry has encouraged voters who are unable to attend on election day to make use of the early voting system.