Ahead of the July 20 Upper House election, the Asahi Shimbun conducted a nationwide poll on July 3 and 4 using phone and internet surveys, along with interview data, to gauge the early outlook.
The results show that the ruling parties—Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito—are in a tight race to win a majority of the 248 total seats (125 needed for a majority, including uncontested seats). The LDP is struggling, especially in single-seat districts. On the other hand, opposition parties like the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito are doing well and may each win more than 10 seats, exceeding their previous results.
At the time of the survey, about 50% of voters in electoral districts and 40% in proportional representation areas hadn’t yet decided how they would vote, meaning the situation could still change.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has set the goal for victory as the ruling coalition winning a majority, including their 75 uncontested seats. To reach that, they need to win at least 50 more seats in this election.
by MagazineKey4532