For a different take…

Let’s look at some early voting statistics. I wouldn’t say there’s anything really enlightening here, other than that I didn’t know that the Japanese electoral process allowed for early voting. But hey, that’s cool. I’d definitely do it, if nothing else, so I could tell all the politicians out at train stations to bugger off.

期日前投票、鈍い出 足 前回を下回る 衆院選

総務省は１０日、期日前投票（小選挙 区）の中間状況を発表した。公示翌日の５ 日から９日までの５日間で、今回の有権者 （３日時点）の２．４４％にあたる２５ ４万７３５９人がすでに投票した。２００ ９年の前回選挙と同時期の２．９４％と比 較すると、出足の鈍さが目立っている。 前回選挙は「政権交代」が争点となり、 現行の選挙制度では最高の６９．２８％の 高投票率を記録し、期日前投票の出足も好 調。今回は、前々回の０５年の「郵政選 挙」の同時期の投票率（１．９６％）に比 べれば、期日前投票が浸透してきたことも あって上回ったが、前回との比較では秋田 県を除き４６都道府県で下回った。 同省は理由について「今回は新しい政党 ができ、有権者も様子を見ているのではな いか」（幹部）と分析。２９年ぶりの「年 の瀬選挙」とあって、降雪の影響もあると みられる。 http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/1210/TKY201212100369.html

Lower House Elections: Early voting, dull turnout, lower than previous time

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced current interim statistics on early voting (single seat districts) on the 10 th . For the 5 day period starting with the day after the election kick-off on the 5 th through the 9 th , 2.44% of eligible voters or 2,547,359 people had cast ballots. In the prior 2009 election, compared to the 2.94% who voted in the same period, the muted turn-out is remarkable. In the previous election, “Political Exchange” was the issue at hand and under the electoral system at the time, a record turn-out of 69.28% was recorded, and early voting turnout was also high. This time, compared to the turnout rate in the same period in the 2005 “Postal System election” (1.96%), one could say that early voting has begun to penetrate and increased, but compared to last time, turnout rates have dropped in 46 prefectures (excluding Akita Prefecture).

The Ministry of Internal Affairs explained the reason for lower turnout as “Since this time several new parties have appeared, it seems likely that voters are still surveying the situation.” It’s been 29 years since an “end of year election,” and snowfall also seems likely to effect the outcome.