The extraordinary elections taking place on February 8 are an important step for Takaiichi, who is seeking a mandate to continue her policies, including increasing budget allocations for defense and tightening immigration regulations.
In these elections, 465 seats in parliament will be contested, and according to NHK World, more than 1,200 candidates are listed on the ballots. The total number of registered voters in the country is approximately 105 million.
Among the participating parties are the Liberal Democratic Party, the new centrist reform alliance, the Japan Innovation Party, the People's Democratic Party, the Communist Party of Japan, and the Japan Conservative Party.
Analysts suggest that local national conservatives, led by Sanae Takaiichi, will have an advantage in the elections.
Voters will be able to choose representatives in 289 single-member districts, while in the remaining districts, results will be determined by a proportional system. Voting is scheduled to conclude at 8:00 PM local time, after which broadcasters will begin to publish forecasts based on exit polls.
