Additional steps to amending the national voting law

May 16 , 2018

Kitagawa addressed the joint Komeito-LDP meeting on May 15Kitagawa (standing) addressed the joint Komeito-LDP meeting on May 15

On May 15, the two parties in Japan’s coalition government—the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito—held a working-group meeting and endorsed revising the national voting law, which would require amending the Japanese constitution. The group cited the success of multiple revisions to the Public Offices Election Law in 2016 in improving the overall voting environment for its endorsement.

The 2016 revisions included installing polling places in large-scale shopping complexes, lengthening the absentee-ballot period and easing requirements for ship crews to vote while at sea.

Leading the Komeito group was Kazuo Kitagawa, the party’s vice chief representative who chairs its committee on constitutional research, with House of Representatives members Shigeki Sato and Kiyohiko Toyama and House of Councillors member Makoto Nishida also taking part. Another initiative the working group is looking into is casting ballots via postal mail.

Both the LDP and Komeito will summarize a draft to be processed by their respective parties for submission to the May 17 board meeting of the House of Representatives Commission on the Constitution.