More than 70% of respondents to a recent Yomiuri Shimbun survey said they are concerned about the shortage of candidates seeking to become assembly members.
The survey, which was conducted by mail from Jan. 24 to Feb. 28, showed that 72% of respondents thought it was problematic or somewhat problematic that so few people are willing to become local legislators.
Most respondents, or 52%, believed the reason for the shortage of candidates was that "it is too expensive to run for office." This was followed by 41% saying "the job as a legislator is not attractive" and 35% saying "the person runs the risk of losing a job if they lose the election." The respondents were asked to choose up to three answers.
