Japan considers new law to allow COVID-19 patients to vote by mail

The Japan Times reports

Japanese ruling and opposition parties on Thursday agreed to enact a new law to allow COVID-19 patients recovering in hotels or at home to vote by mail in national and local elections.

The parties hope to see the new law in place in time for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly’s election to be held on July 4.

Coronavirus carriers without severe symptoms and people who have had close contact with carriers are required to stay inside accommodation for such people or their own homes for isolation. It would, therefore, be difficult for them to visit polling stations.

At an executive meeting of a special committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, the ruling and opposition parties broadly agreed to take necessary legislative action during the current Diet session ending in June, in order to protect the right of such people to vote.

According to an outline of a planned bill presented by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, voting by mail will be granted as an exceptional measure to coronavirus carriers and people with close contact with carriers staying in hotels or at home for isolation.

Read more. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/20/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-covid-19-patients-vote-mail/