The Japanese National Proportional Representation Block, known in Japan as the House of Councillors proportional district (参議院比例区, Sangiin hirei-ku) is an electoral district for the House of Councillors, the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. It consists of the whole nation and elects 50 members per election, 100 in total (fully effective after the 2022 regular election), by D'Hondt method proportional representation (PR).
History
Proportional voting was introduced to Japan in the 1983 House of Councillors election. The proportional district replaced the previous nationwide district (全国区, zenkoku-ku) which elected 100 members of the House of Councillors (50 per election) by single non-transferable vote, i.e. votes were for individuals not parties as in the prefectural districts. Initially, the proportional representation block also elected 50 members, but was reduced to 48 members in the 2001 election, bringing the total of proportional members down to 96 in 2004.
From 1983 to 1998, the vote in the proportional district of the House of Councillors had to be for a party, lists were closed. Since the 2001 election there is the option to cast a preference vote for a single candidate instead, the vote then counts for both the party in the allocation of proportional seats to party lists, as well as the candidate in the ordering of party lists. From 2001 to 2016, the system was a most open list system: The ranking of candidates on a party list strictly followed the number of preference votes. This ranking also applies to the runner-up replacements in case of vacancies.
In the 2019 election, the proportional district is enlarged to 50 members; and the proportional election system is modified to no longer be fully open: In a so-called tokutei-waku (特定枠, literally "special frame") parties may now choose to prioritize certain proportional candidates, such protected candidates can no longer be elected personally, but always come first in the allocation of proportional seats.[2][3]
Unlike elections to the House of Representatives, where a proportional segment was introduced in 1996, a simultaneous dual candidacy in both the majoritarian and the proportional election is not allowed in the House of Councillors.
Summary of results for major parties
Ruling parties at the time of the election are bolded.
Recent results
Notes
- ^ These are full official results including decimals stemming from fractional votes; in the proportional district, they occur very often due to the high number of candidates and thus potential ambiguities. Elsewhere, election results are sometimes edited to contain no decimals; even then, whole numbers do not always represent whole votes, but may contain whole fractions of larger numbers of ambiguous votes.
- ^ a b Tachibana resigned his seat on October 10, 2019. Hamada, who placed second on the list, took his seat.
References
- ^ Sōmushō: Results of the 26th regular election (pdf, Japanese), p. 7, retrieved 2023/7/18.
- ^ Sōmushō, News on the electoral system, October 24, 2018: 参議院議員選挙制度の改正について, retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ NHK kaisetsu blog archive, July 19, 2018: 「参院定数６増 比例特定枠導入～選挙制度改革行方は」（時論公論）, retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ For 1983–2004 elections: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (domestically: Ministry of general affairs, Sōmushō), otatistics office (tōkei-kyoku): Long-term statistics, Chapter 27: Public servants and elections Archived 2015-02-15 at the Wayback Machine, 27-13: 参議院議員通常選挙の党派別当選者数及び得票数 (Number of elected members and votes by party in regular elections of members of the House of Councillors) Archived 2011-03-23 at the Wayback Machine (excel)
- ^ For more recent elections: MIC, autonomy and administration office (jichi-gyōsei-kyoku), elections department (senkyo-ka): election-related statistics and results, Regular elections of members of the House of Councillors
- ^ a b Sōmushō: 第２５回参議院議員通常選挙結果調, pp. 37–41, retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ NHK Senkyo Web: Proportional district, vote & seat results by party, retrieved 2023/7/18.
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, LDP
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, DP Archived 2018-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Kōmeitō
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, JCP
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Ōsaka ishin no kai Archived 2018-01-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Seikatsu no tō
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Nippon no kokoro o taisetsu ni suru tō
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Shiji seitō nashi
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Shintō kaikaku
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Kokumin ikari no koe
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2016 election results: proportional election, Kōfukujitsugentō
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Jiyūminshutō Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Kōmeitō Archived 2017-06-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Minshutō Archived 2013-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Nippon Ishin no Kai Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Nihon Kyōsantō Archived 2013-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Minna no Tō Archived 2013-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Shakaiminshutō Archived 2017-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Seikatsu no Tō Archived 2017-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Shintō Daichi Archived 2013-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Midori no Tō Greens Japan Archived 2017-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Midori no Kaze Archived 2017-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yomiuri Online, 2013 election results: proportional election, Kōfukujitsugentō Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine
