住民投票、期日前は過去最多　投票終了、深夜に結果判明―大阪都構想

　大阪市を廃止して四つの特別区に再編する「大阪都構想」の是非を問う２度目の住民投票が１日午後８時に締め切られた。期日前には、有権者の約１９％に当たる４１万８９２５人が投票。１５年に行われた前回の住民投票の期日前（３５万９２０３人）を上回り、市長選などこれまでに市内で行われた期日前投票の中で最多となった。
　時事通信が同日行った出口調査では、賛否が拮抗（きっこう）している。賛成多数となれば２０２５年１月１日に新制度に移行し、政令市が廃止される初のケースとなる。反対が上回れば市の存続が決まる。
　当日の有権者は日本国籍を持つ１８歳以上の市民約２２０万５７００人。即日開票され、深夜までに結果が判明する見通し。投票率は６２．３５％で、前回の住民投票の６６．８３％を４．４８ポイント下回った。（2020/11/01-21:43）

Voting started Sunday morning for a closely watched referendum asking citizens of Osaka to approve or disapprove the so-called Osaka metropolis plan, after a similar administrative reorganization project for the major western Japan city was voted down by residents about five and a half years ago.
   Voting is set to end at 8 p.m. (11 a.m. GMT), and vote-counting will start immediately, with the results seen becoming available late Sunday night. The number of eligible voters, or residents of the Osaka Prefecture capital aged 18 or over who have Japanese citizenship, stands at some 2,237,000. The result of the referendum is legally binding.
   According to the Osaka municipal election board, 360,338 people, or 16 pct of the total eligible voters, cast the ballots under an early voting system by Friday.
   The initiative, supported mainly by Osaka Ishin no Kai, a regional political party, calls for abolishing the current Osaka, a central government ordinance-designated major city with a population of about 2.7 million, and reorganizing the city, which currently has 24 administrative wards, into four special wards that are similar to the 23 special wards in Tokyo, Japan's capital.
   The envisioned four special wards are Yodogawa, Kita, Chuo and Tennoji, having populations of about 596,000, 749,000, 710,000 and 636,000, respectively.