Lawyers in Japan file lawsuits to cancel Sunday's election results demand a new election

Lawsuits were filed in high courts across Japan to nullify the results of Sunday’s House of Councillors election, citing violations of the constitutional principle of equality. The latest election saw the maximum vote disparity increase to 3.13-fold, despite previous declines. The Supreme Court had acknowledged the need to address these disparities in a 2023 ruling.

Lawyers, including Hidetoshi Masunaga, criticized the election process for not correcting the disparities. High courts in Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka received the suits. Disparities were noted between prefectures, with Kanagawa having the most voters per lawmaker. The Supreme Court previously ruled that disparities in earlier elections were unconstitutional but did not invalidate results.