By YOTA KOSAKI/ Staff Writer
October 22, 2024 at 14:12 JST
Residents cast early ballots in the Lower House election at a temporary housing complex in the Machinomachi district of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Oct. 21. (Tatsuo Kanai)
WAJIMA, Ishikawa Prefecture--A station for early voting in the Lower House election opened at a temporary housing complex in the Machinomachi district of this disaster-stricken city on Oct. 21.
Residents formed a line at the entrance of the complex before the 9 a.m. starting time to cast their ballots.
One month ago, heavy rain flooded Wajima and other parts of northern Noto Peninsula, which were still recovering from the devastating New Year’s Day earthquake.
The housing complex contains 268 homes, and the temporary voting station was installed in a gathering place within the facility.
The first voter at the station was Tetsuro Shimizu, 56.
“I chose the party whose first priority is to reconstruct this region,” he said.
Rumiko Kawabata, 66, came from a nearby community to vote.
“I’m worried that the election will gain so much attention that people might forget about our region,” she said.
Kawabata said she and her 71-year-old husband live in a house that is still tilting because of the earthquake.
Times have been tough recently for the couple because chilly winds now blow into the rooms through gaps, she added.
The official election day is Oct. 27.
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