参院２補選、投票進む　衆院選の前哨戦

　岸田政権発足後初の国政選挙となった参院静岡、山口両選挙区補欠選挙は２４日、投票が進んだ。一部の地域を除いて午後８時に締め切られる。即日開票され、同日深夜までに結果が判明する見通しだ。
　午後６時現在の投票率は静岡が２６．９１％、山口が２１．８８％で、前回参院選をそれぞれ３．４４ポイント、５．２ポイント下回った。
　両補選は静岡県知事選と衆院選に出馬した自民党現職２人の辞職に伴い実施。１週間後に衆院選の投開票を迎える異例の日程となったため、与野党は補選を衆院選の前哨戦と位置付け、総力戦で臨んだ。（2021/10/24-19:30）

Japan's ruling coalition is likely to win a by-election in Yamaguchi Prefecture for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, on Sunday.
   The poll is one of the two Upper House by-elections held on Sunday as the first parliamentary polls since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took office early this month.
   The by-elections in Yamaguchi and Shizuoka prefectures are drawing keen attention ahead of an election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of parliament, set for Oct. 31.
   In the race in the western prefecture of Yamaguchi, Tsuneo Kitamura, a 66-year-old former Upper House member from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is supported by Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, is likely to defeat two other candidates.
   The Yamaguchi by-election took place after an LDP member left the Upper House to switch to the Lower House.