Sunday, July 10, is the day to vote for the House of Councillors election. Some of you may have started to see it on news programs.
Let’s quickly review the basics of the councillor vote that you may or may not know, or that you may have forgotten, before the day of the event!
How do we vote? House of Councillors election
The House of Councillors election is held every three years to elect members of the House of Councillors for a six-year term. There are two ballots, one for 「electoral districts」 and one for 「proportional representation」.
On the first 「Electoral Area」 ballot you will be handed, you will select a candidate from the Ishikawa Electoral Area and write his/her name (Candidate for the Ishikawa Electoral Area). This time, a record number of six candidates are running, but the maximum number is 「1」 and only one will be chosen.
On the second ballot for 「Proportional Representation」, write the name of the candidate or the name of the party or political organization (abbreviations are also acceptable). The 「Proportional Representation」 ballot is for the whole country, and there are 178 candidates (see the list of candidates). Incidentally, the 「electoral district」 and 「proportional representation」 candidacies that are possible in the House of Representatives elections are not allowed in the House of Councillors elections. Therefore, it is not possible for a candidate who was unsuccessful in the electoral district to be elected again in the proportional district.
Polling places are checked in advance
The polling place for each district in which you live is listed on the “Polling Place Entrance Orderly Ticket” that was mailed to you, or you can also check it on the official website of Kanazawa City. If you have lost your 「Polling Place Entrance Orderly Ticket」, the staff at the polling place will check the voter registration list and take care of the procedures for you, so please go to the polling place first.
Voting hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, if the municipal election management committee determines that there are special circumstances, the voting hours may be moved up (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications). In last year’s lower house election, 16,967 polling places nationwide moved up their hours (Yomiuri Shimbun Online), so this year it would be best to go early while avoiding the hot daytime hours. If possible, it would be better if you can vote during the cool morning hours.
If circumstances prevent you from going to the polling place on July 10 (Sun.), you can still cast your ballot on or before July 9 (Sat.). There are 12 advance polling places in the city, and most of them are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, please note that the advance polling place at Alplaza Kanazawa is open from 10:00 a.m.
This is a national election to deliver the wishes of each and every one of us to the Diet regarding taxes, laws, systems, and the state of the nation as it pertains to our daily lives. It is so hot that I am sick of just going outside, but I hope you will be able to cast a vote that satisfies you.
