Courts remain split on gap in vote values in July poll

Plaintiffs appear at a press conference on Oct. 18 following a Tokyo High Court ruling in a lawsuit over the vote-value disparity in July's House of Councillors election. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Of 16 court rulings as of Tuesday over vote value disparity in upper house constituencies, one judged that the numbers were unconstitutional. Eight said the House of Councillors election was held in a state of unconstitutionality, while seven judged that it was constitutional.

Two lawyers groups had filed lawsuits in eight high courts and six branches across the country, arguing that it was unconstitutional for the weight of the vote in a less populated constituency to be up to 3.03 times greater than that of a vote in a densely populated one in the upper house election held in July.