Japan elections

Tokyo: Early voter turnout in Japan's general elections on Sunday was fractionally higher than at the same point four years ago, the government said after the first seven hours of voting.
By 2 pm (10.30 IST), 35.19 per cent of Japan's 103 million eligible voters had cast their ballots, up slightly on the 34.94 per cent at the same time in the 2005 election, the ministry of internal affairs said.
The overall turnout for the 2005 election was considered high, at 67.51 per cent, although it was below the post-war record of 76.99 per cent in 1958.
Polling stations close at 8:00 pm with the first exit poll expected shortly afterwards.
Opinion polls have forecast a landslide win for the main Opposition party, the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan, over Prime Minister, Mr Taro Aso's long-ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party.