Fukushima prefectural parliamentary election 2011

The 2011 parliamentary election in the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima was originally planned to coincide with the unified regional elections on April 10, but was postponed as a result of the Tōhoku earthquake (in government institutions: Great East Japanese Earthquake). It took place on November 20, 2011, the official election period began on November 10. At the same time, several local elections were held in the prefecture.

All 58 seats in parliament in Fukushima were up for election by non-transferable individual voting, after an adjustment of the constituencies, now in twelve multi-mandate and seven individual constituencies. In the outgoing parliament, the Liberal Democratic Group with (as of April 1, 2011) 26 members was the strongest force, followed by the Democratic - Social Democrat- led faction kenmin rengō ("Federation of Prefectural Citizens ") with 19 seats. The factions of Kōmeitō and the Japanese Communist Party each had three members.

At the start of the election campaign there were a total of 88 candidates, seven of which had already been chosen as the winners due to the lack of opposing candidates. The Liberal Democratic Party nominated 33 candidates (32 party candidates, one election recommendation), the Democratic Party 24 (23 party candidates, one election recommendation) - more than ever before - the Kōmeitō three, the Communist Party of Japan six, the Social Democratic Party four and the first-time candidate Minna no Tō, who was able to move into several prefectural parliaments across the country in 2011, three.

The main election campaign topic was the reconstruction after the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear accidents in Ōkuma / Futaba, because of which many communities in the east of the prefecture were evacuated. Since many eligible voters are not staying at their registered places of residence or outside the prefecture because of the evacuations or as an indirect consequence of the disasters, the election supervision commissions of the prefecture and the municipalities feared a low turnout and called nationwide to vote by postal vote or at branch offices. The opening of polling stations has also been extended in many places, in the city ​​of Fukushima and in polling stations in Kazo in Saitama prefecture, where the city of Futaba has been evacuated, until 11 p.m.

Result

With voter turnout down by around 9.5 points to 47.51% - a historic low - the LDP was able to win an additional mandate and, with 27 seats, is clearly the strongest force. The Democratic Party lost one seat to 15 MPs. However, a total of eight incumbents - seven of them from the two major parties - were voted out. The Minna no Tō moved into parliament with its first member; the Communist Party won two seats and is now the third largest force with five seats. The Social Democrats fell back to one seat and all three Kōmeitō candidates were elected.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Election Oversight Commission of Fukushima Prefecture: Announcement of the 2011 parliamentary elections ( Memento of the original from November 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Election Oversight Commission of Fukushima Prefecture: Local elections taking place at the same time as the parliamentary elections  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ Prefecture Parliament Fukushima: constituency for the next general election  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Fukushima Prefectural Parliament : Members by parliamentary group  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ 福島 県 議 選 告示 ８８ 人 届 け 出 原 発 事故 対 策 論 戦 . In: Kahoku Shimpō . November 11, 2011, archived from the original on November 14, 2011 ; Retrieved November 11, 2011 (Japanese). 
6. ↑ LDP Prefectural Association Fukushima: Candidates for the 2011 parliamentary election  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ^ Democratic Party: Candidates for the 2011 parliamentary elections in Miyagi and Fukushima
8. ↑ Kōmeitō: election calendar [of elections with Kōmeitō candidates]
9. ↑ Communist Party of Japan: Candidates for the 2011 parliamentary election in Fukushima ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ Minna no Tō: Candidates for prefecture and local elections ( Memento of the original from July 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
11. ↑ SDP Fukushima Prefectural Association: First time candidates
12. ↑ Election Supervision Commission of the Fukushima Prefecture Notes on voting in absenteeism ( fuzaisha tōhyō ) ( Memento of the original dated November 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
13. ↑ Asahi Shimbun, October 28, 2011: 「全国 の 避難 者 は 不在 者 投票 を」 福島 県 議 選 で 県 選 管 ( Memento from October 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
14. ↑ Mainichi Shimbun, November 3, 2011: 復興 へ の 選 択 ： １１ ・ ２０ ミ ニ 統一 地方 選 県 議 選 告示 ま で １ 週 間 ／ 福島  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
15. ↑ 選 挙 ： 福島 県 議 選 現 職 ８ 人 が 落選 . In: Mainichi Shimbun , Tokyo evening edition. November 21, 2011, archived from the original on November 28, 2011 ; Retrieved November 21, 2011 (Japanese). 
16. ↑ 福島 県 議 選 ５８ 人 決 ま る 自 民 ２６ 、 み ん な 初 議席 . (No longer available online.) In: MSN / Sankei News. November 21, 2011, archived from the original on November 22, 2011 ; Retrieved November 21, 2011 (Japanese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
17. ↑ 投票 率 最低 の ４７ ・ ５１ ％ 帰 還 派 の 大熊 町 長 再 選 . (No longer available online.) In: MSN / Sankei News. November 21, 2011, archived from the original on November 23, 2011 ; Retrieved November 21, 2011 (Japanese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.