Voters at a polling station in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo on October 27. (©Sankei by Kenji Suzuki）
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The turnout rate in single-seat constituencies in the recent House of Representatives election was 53.85%. That is the third lowest turnout since the end of World War II. Furthermore, a sample survey showed that for 18-19-year-old young voters, the turnout rate was only 43.06%.
Voter turnout remained in the 60-70% range for most of the postwar period. However, in the 1996 House of Representatives election it fell below 60% for the first time. This is the fifth consecutive time that the figure has been in the 50% range.
That close to half of the electorate does not bother to vote is a danger to Japan's democracy. Every political party and lawmaker must take the situation seriously. We would like to see voters value their right to vote more highly and get out to the polls.
Furthermore, the government should seriously consider possible solutions, such as the introduction of electronic voting.
Discouraging Factors
The scandal involving the Liberal Democratic Party not reporting faction party income and the party's subsequent response have significantly damaged trust in politics. Such distrust in politics is adding impetus to the decline in voter turnout.
Because Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the Diet for a general election without convening the budget committees, there was little in-depth discussion on most policy issues. That included foreign policy and security issues. Thus, voters received inadequate exposure to key policy issues. This failure may also have been a factor in the decline in voting.
The ruling parties fell short of gaining the majority of seats that PM Ishiba had set as his election goal. If Ishiba refuses to resign and his administration clings to power, that could lead to a further decline in trust in politics. It could also negatively impact various upcoming elections.
Engaging New Voters
There are other reasons for the low voter turnout. Elections for the Lower House are held at the discretion of the government in power. Another major factor is that the basic policies of the Constitutional Democratic Party, which fought for a change of government, are unrealistic and the party is not worthy of being entrusted with running the government.
It was particularly unfortunate that the voter turnout among 18- and 19-year-olds was 10% lower than the national average. This was the third general election since the revised Public Offices Election Act came into effect in 2016. That law lowered the voting age from "20 years or older" to "18 years or older." Nonetheless, turnout in last month's election remained in the 40% range for the third consecutive time.
Voting Impacts Policies
The trend of high voter turnout among older people and low voter turnout among young people has continued for several years. However, this comes against the backdrop of lower births and the rapid graying of society.
If the voting rate among older citizens, who make up a large proportion of the population, is high, politics will tend to favor the elderly. Correspondingly, if in turn the voting rate among young people, who are a smaller part of the population, is low, it will become difficult to implement policies that look to Japan's future.
Young people need to be cognizant that they are an integral part of the nation of Japan. The country needs more people to take an interest in foreign affairs and defense policy. Moreover, it needs young voters to pay attention to issues that directly affect their lives. Hopefully, they will actively participate in building the country and their communities through voting.
RELATED:
- Warning for the LDP: Vote Share Exactly Matches 2009
- LDP Coalition Loses Majority in Lower House Election for the First Time in 15 Years
- EDITORIAL | Voters Deserve Debate That Tackles a Range of Policy Issues
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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