1月19日、高市総裁が衆議院の解散を発表しました。（1月19日）
Japan‘s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that she will dissolve parliament on Jan 23, paving the way for a snap election on Feb 8.
※dissolve parliament 議会を解散する
※pave the way for～に道を開く、下準備をする
※snap election〔突然の〕解散総選挙 ➾総選挙：general election
極寒期の選挙で、豪雪地帯の有権者は大変です。実際に雪の中時間をかけて投票に行った人もおられたとのことです。
Prime Minister Takaichi acknowledges her decision could prove challenging for voters in snowbound regions.
※prove～になる、～と判明する
※snowbound ＝雪に閉じ込められた、積雪で動けなくなった
豪雪地帯：deep-snow area／heavy snowfall area／snowbelt（area）／snowy area等
Voting for the general election took place Sunday amid heavy snowfall across large parts of Japan, with some voters struggling to reach polling stations and criticizing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over the timing of the midwinter poll.
衆議院465議席（小選挙区289と比例代表176）が争われます。
All 465 seats in the Lower House are up for grabs. Of the total, 289 come from single-seat constituencies. The remaining 176 are proportional representation.
※be up for grabs〔競争などについて〕誰もが勝利に手が届き得る、誰が勝つか分からない。
※the Lower House衆議院➾the House of Representatives
立憲民主党と公明は『中道改革連合』を発表。
The new Centrist Reform Alliance was formed through a merger between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito.
※中道を現わす英語はmiddle of the roadか、centristです。
結果は自民単独３１６議席と歴史的圧勝。野党は議席を減らしました。
タイトル：Takaichi’s LDP wins historic supermajority in lower house election as opposition loses ground
※supermajorityは、過半数（50%超）を上回る、60%〜3分の2（約67%）以上で圧倒的多数、 超過半数
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi swept to a landslide victory in a snap election on Sunday, marking a historic turnaround for her party, which had been hemorrhaging voter support in recent years until she took the helm.
※sweep to victory 圧勝する ※landslide victory 地滑り勝利
※turnaround 〔劇的な〕改良、好転
※hemorrhage 〔多量に〕出血する／大損失を被る ※take the helm かじをとる、指導的地位に就く
大阪では知事と市長のダブル選も。大阪都構想の3度目の住民投票を目指しているようですが、白票を含む無効票も多く、税金の無駄遣いだと白い目を向ける人もいます。
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura resigned to call a snap gubernatorial and mayoral election on the same day as a snap general election in the hope of winning local support for a third referendum on merging the wards of the city of Osaka. It has been a signature policy for Osaka Ishin no Kai since its inception.
※referendum住民投票
※signature 特徴的な ※inception 発足
However, the number of invalid ballots, including blank votes, surged to 416,783 (10.29 %) in the gubernatorial race and a 170,620 (13.77 %) in the mayoral race.
野党では、チームみらいが14人を擁立し11人が当選。組織票organized voteがあるのではないかという人もいます。
Team Mirai fielded a total of 14 candidates and secured 11 seats in the proportional representation segment in its first House of Representatives election.
※field a candidate候補者を擁立する
投票率は前回の53.85%を上回る55.68％、期日前投票が増えました。
Voter turnout for single-seat districts in the Feb. 8 Lower House election was around 55.68 percent, including a record number of people who voted early.
※期日前投票 early voting
