Overseas Election System

This is a system in which even Japanese residing abroad can vote in Japanese national elections (general election of the lower house, ordinary election of the upper house, national review of the Supreme Court Judge) by registering in the overseas electoral list.
You can vote at diplomatic missions abroad (embassies and consulates) or by mail.

In order to vote, it is necessary to apply for registration in the overseas electoral list in advance and receive a foreign electoral card.
In order to be registered in the overseas electoral list, you need to apply at the time of departure or at the diplomatic mission abroad.

1. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have Japanese nationality
2. A person who has submitted a transfer notification outside of Japan and is registered in the electoral list of Kohoku Ward

The applicant or the person entrusted by the applicant should bring the following documents and apply to the Kohoku Ward Election Commission.

• Overseas Electoral List Registration Transfer Application
• Passport (passport), etc.
• When a person entrusted by the applicant submits an application, in addition to the above, the following two points:
  • Application form from the applicant (signature column is handwritten by the applicant)
  • Documents that can verify the identity of the person entrusted by the applicant

• Overseas Electoral List Registration Transfer Application (PDF: 270KB)
• Application Form (PDF: 49KB)

To register the overseas electoral list, you must have a Address outside of Japan, so please submit a resident registration to the diplomatic mission abroad under Article 16 of the Passport Act.

1. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have Japanese nationality
2. Have Address in the jurisdiction of a consular officer in charge of Address for at least three months
3. Not registered in the overseas electoral list

※When you move out of the country, you must submit a transfer notification in Kohoku Ward.

The applicant or his / her family of living together must submit the following documents directly at the counter of the diplomatic mission abroad (embassy or consulate general in charge of the Address where he / she resides).

• Overseas Electoral List Registration Application
• Passport (passport)
• Documents certifying that you have Address in the jurisdiction of the consular officer for at least three months (such as the residence lease agreement, residence certificate, and electricity and gas receipts with Address).
• In the case of proxy application by living together family, etc., in addition to the above, the following two points:
  • Application form from the applicant
  • Passport (passport) of the living together family, etc.

When registered in the overseas electoral list, the municipal election committee of the registration destination will issue a "overseas electoral card" via the diplomatic mission abroad where you applied for registration.
This "Overseas Electoral Card" will be required for overseas voting, so please keep it in a safe place.

Election of members of the House of Representatives and House of Councilors and National Examination of Judges of the Supreme Court

It will be a proportional representative of the (small) constituency registered in the overseas electoral list.

There are three methods: diplomatic missions abroad, postal voting, and voting in Japan.

This is a method of going to a diplomatic mission abroad (embassy or consulate) where the voting entry place is set up, and presenting your overseas elector's card and passport to vote.

The voting period and time are, in principle, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm from the day after the announcement date (notification date) of the election to 6 days before the election date. (The voting period and time vary depending on the location of the voting, so please contact each diplomatic mission abroad.)

Enclose the overseas electoral card with the Election Administration Committee of the registered place of the overseas electoral list, request a ballot paper by mail, fill out the ballot paper etc. after grant, and re-register the election administration committee of the registration destination It is a method of mailing to

If you return home temporarily during the election, or until you are registered in the domestic electoral list after returning to Japan (three months after the creation of the resident certificate), you can vote in the same procedure as the domestic voting method. In addition, in each method, presentation of "election certificate overseas" is necessary.

On the day of voting, we vote at polling place of designated overseas election voting district. Kohoku Ward has designated the Kohoku Ward Office (the 17th voting district) as a polling place for overseas voting.

During the period from the day after the announcement date (notification date) of the election to the day before the election date, you will vote at the early polling place designated by the Election Commission of the municipality. Kohoku Ward has designated Kohoku public hall as an early polling place where people can vote abroad.

Enclose the overseas electoral card with the Election Administration Committee of the registered place of the overseas electoral list, request a ballot paper by mail, and from the announcement date (notification date) of the election to the day before the election date During the period, vote in the Election Commission other than the registered place. For more information, please refer to the following page.

• Absentee voting at your place of stay (outside Kohoku ward)

• Overseas Elections (Yokohama City Election Commission)
• Overseas Elections (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (outside site)
• Overseas Election System (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) (outside site)
• About Overseas National Examination System (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) (PDF: 4,159KB)