Japanese Vote Underway After Abe Call Snap Election

Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo Abe's Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) is on track to win the recently called snap election, according to exit polls.

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The polls, which opened at 7:00 a.m. local time, will close at 8:00 p.m. followed by results as early as Monday.

According to the government, at 11 a.m., the voter turnout was higher than that of the corresponding figure from the previous election – up to 12.24 percent from 11.08 percent. Though the overall number is expected to be low, partly due to the effects of a pending supertyphoon, Lan.

"I support Abe's stance not to give in to North Korea's pressure," Yoshihisa Iemori told AFP, as he cast his ballot in Tokyo.

Abe dissolved the lower house a little over three weeks ago to force the process amid rumors of corruption implicating both him and his wife.

This will be the first time 18- and 19-year-olds are allowed to vote in a lower house poll after an amendment was made to the law.

The ruling LDP-Komeito coalition seems to be on track to sweep a supermajority in the 465-seat House of Representatives. The LDP currently holds 284 seats while Komeito holds 34.

A recent poll predicts that the LDP alone could secure over 300 seats.

A total of 1,180 candidates are vying for the lower house seats, 289 of which represent single-seat electoral districts. The remaining 176 are to be decided by preferred parties across 11 blocks.

Japanese voters, who have been uneasy about the recent missile launches and verbal threats from North Korea, appear to be more comfortable with Abe heading the government.

“I buy into prime minister Abe’s ability to handle diplomacy,” said Naomi Mochida, while listening to Abe's campaign.

“I think the most serious threat we face now is the North Korea situation. I feel Abe has been showing the best tactics to handle the situation, compared to other politicians including past prime ministers.”

The ruling party's main rival, the Democratic party, lost its leader through resignation.

And former LDP member and Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, with little preparation, was forced to quickly form the Party of Hope – swaying some Democrat defectors with her platform to phase out nuclear power by 2030 and stay the 2019 consumption tax increase – to enter the race.

“To be honest, I wish we had strong opposition,” a 71-year-old retiree, Ko Horiguchi, said about the voting options.

“But look at their sorry situation right now.”