Preparations for Lower House Election: Such an Unprecedented Event Demands Meticulous Management

Editorial

15:07 JST, January 21, 2026

The preparation period for the upcoming House of Representatives election is short. Also, it will be held in the depths of winter. The burden on local governments that are responsible for the practical tasks of election administration will be heavier than ever before.

Elections are the foundation of democracy. Staff members involved in elections must be mindful of the weight of each vote and carry out their duties steadily and meticulously.

This lower house election is unprecedented in every way. The period from the dissolution on Jan. 23 to the voting and ballot counting on Feb. 8 is just 16 days, the shortest since the end of World War II. It will be the first time in 36 years, since 1990, for a lower house election to be held in February.

This time of year marks the peak period for many local governments to compile their budget proposals for the new fiscal year. Meanwhile, local governments are responsible for a wide range of election duties, including arranging polling and ballot-counting stations and observers, installing campaign poster boards, and printing and distributing admission tickets and bulletins.

Local governments are required to complete these duties flawlessly despite the busy schedule.

The impact of the short preparation period is already apparent.

The election administration commissions of the Hiroshima and Fukuoka prefectural governments will not hold the orientation meetings they have ordinarily conducted for prospective candidates, as they stated that they have no leeway in terms of schedules and preparations.

Some local governments faced delays in securing ballot-counting stations because the facilities used for previous national elections have already been booked. Delays in mailing admission tickets are also expected to increase.

It is hoped that local governments will take measures to prevent adverse effects on candidates’ registration procedures and voters’ behavior.

Preventing human error is also crucial. There were more than 200 cases of mistakes in each of the past four consecutive national elections, from the 2019 House of Councillors election to the 2024 lower house election. Although they included many simple errors, such as failing to verify voters’ identity, trust in elections must not be undermined.

What can be done in such a short period of time is likely limited, but it is hoped that local governments will learn from past examples of mistakes and devise ways to avoid them, through such means as pairing veteran and junior staff members during ballot counting.

Measures against snow and cold weather are also essential. Noting concern that newly fallen snow might not be removed in time, the Sapporo municipal government plans to reduce the number of poster boards set up for this election to 900 or fewer, down from about 2,000 during last year’s upper house election. Ensuring adequate heating equipment at polling and ballot-counting stations is also a challenge for many local governments.

There is concern that voters may hesitate to go out, potentially lowering turnout. It would be effective to encourage early voting on days with good weather.

Recently, more local governments, particularly in depopulated areas, are deploying vehicle-mounted mobile early voting stations equipped with ballot boxes. It is crucial to create conditions in which people will be able to vote safely even in poor weather conditions, through such means as local governments providing transportation support for elderly voters between their homes and polling stations.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 21, 2026)