The Nishinomiya City Council election is finally coming up this weekend.
But honestly, elections can be kind of confusing, right?
So this time, we’d like to explain how to vote.
（This article is a rewrite of our 2019 article on how to vote in the House of Councillors election）
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Election Notice Postcard (Voting Admission Ticket)
Did you receive something like this in the mail recently?
When you open it, there’s a paper like this inside.
Simply put, if you take this paper to the place written on it, you can vote.
You don’t need a personal seal, ID, or anything else.
This paper alone is enough.
But…
“Did I get a paper like that?”
“I lost that paper somewhere.”
Some of you might be thinking that.
No worries.
Actually, you can still vote even without this paper.
In that case, you’ll be fine as long as you have some form of ID.
If you don’t know where your polling place is, ask the Election Administration Commission.
How to Vote
When you go to the polling place, there will be someone at what looks like a reception desk.
Give that person the paper mentioned above, and you’ll receive a ballot.
Then all you have to do is write the name of the person you want to vote for on the ballot and put it in the box.
Voting Method
On the ballot, write the name of the person running as a candidate from Nishinomiya City.
That’s not too complicated.
Just write the name of one of the candidates listed on this page.
Here ↓
Absentee Voting and Early Voting
If you have plans and can’t go vote on election day, that’s okay too.
Information about early voting is written on the back of the voting admission ticket (the paper that was sent to you).
If you take this paper to an early voting location, you can vote right away.
The period is from Monday, April 12 to Saturday, April 22.
And even if you’ve lost this paper, that’s okay.
Just like regular voting, you can vote as long as you have some form of ID.
If you’ll be away from Nishinomiya on election day because of travel or a business trip, you can also use “absentee voting,” which lets you vote from where you are traveling (though it’s a bit complicated, so we recommend early voting).
Please refer to the link below for how to vote absentee.
（Nishinomiya City Election Administration Commission）
https://www.nishi.or.jp/shisei/senkyo/tohyo/fuzaishatohyo.html
List of Early Voting Locations
There are now more places in the city where you can vote early.
Since it’s available, let’s go vote.
The locations where early voting is available are as follows.
・Nishinomiya City Election Administration Commission (City Hall East Building 7F, the building with the parking lot) 8:30~20:00
・Shiose Branch Office 8:30~20:00
・Nishinomiya City University Exchange Center (ACTA Nishinomiya East Building 6F) 10:00~20:00
・LaLaport Koshien 10:00~20:00
・Naruo Branch Office 8:30~20:00
・Koto Branch Office 8:30~20:00
・Yamaguchi Branch Office 8:30~20:00
・Kawaragi Branch Office 8:30~20:00
Election Summary
If you’ve never voted before, or if this is your first time being eligible to vote, try going to vote at least once.
You can now vote while you’re out having fun or while you’re shopping.
If you don’t know who to vote for, it might be a good idea to ask your parents, someone you know, or a school teacher for advice.
Please refer to the link below for more details about the election.
（Nishinomiya City Election Administration Commission）
https://www.nishi.or.jp/soshiki/02609991/0261021010/026202101010/index.html
（This article is a rewrite of our 2019 article on how to vote in the House of Councillors election）
