Typhoon disrupts Japan's general election, vote counting in some areas to be delayed

TOKYO - Vote counting in some areas are likely to be delayed as a powerful typhoon approaches the Japanese archipelago on Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds and disrupting transportation in a wide range of areas on an election day in Japan.

The regional election board of the city of Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture has announced that ballots counting will be delayed to Monday as ballot boxes in some offshore islands could not be transported due to cancellation of ferry services caused by the typhoon.

Other municipalities affected by similar situations included Karatsu in Saga prefecture, Nobeoka in Miyazaki prefecture and Nishio in Aichi prefecture.

In some areas of Wakayama prefecture, polling stations were closed hours earlier than the initial schedule due to the typhoon.

Japanese voters went to more than 47,000 polling stations on Sunday for election of the Japanese parliament's House of Representatives, or the lower house.

The vote will see whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) coalition could win two-thirds "super majority" to revise constitution and which party will replace the collapsing Democratic Party to become the largest opposition.

Vote counting in most areas will start as soon as polling stations close at 8:00 pm local time (1100 GMT). Exit polls by local media will forecast early results shortly after the vote.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Lan was packing winds of up to 60 meters per second and moving north-northeast at a speed of 40 kph from the Sea of Japan as of 5:00 pm local time (0800GMT) Sunday.

The season's 21st typhoon will possibly make landfall at Japan's main island of Honshu early Monday, according to Japan Meteorological Agency.

The agency warned of mudslides and flooding and called on voters to watch out for the weather condition when they go to the polling stations.

Three people were reportedly hurt in the strong wind in Kanagawa prefecture, and tens of thousands were advised or instructed to evacuate in western Japan due to the typhoon, according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

Over 400 flights have been canceled as of 5:00 p.m. local time (0800GMT) due to the typhoon, said the NHK report.