In the Akita Prefectural Assembly election to be held next month, Yuzawa City had planned to commission the private sector to set up a mobile early voting station using buses. However, due to a labor shortage, they could not find a driver, so they switched to using a truck driven by city employees and asking them to vote in the truck.
In Yuzawa City, due to factors such as a declining population, the number of polling stations has been reduced from 61 to 28, less than half, and in subsequent elections, a local bus company has been commissioned to set up mobile early voting stations using buses.
However, in the prefectural assembly election to be held next month, the bus company informed us that it could not secure a driver due to a labor shortage and could not respond.
In response, Yuzawa City switched to using trucks driven by city employees to have voters cast their ballots in order to maintain mobile early voting stations, according to an interview with the city's election committee.
Loading tables and ballot boxes are placed on the cart, and voters will have to go up and down using the stairs provided in front and behind.
This means that a total of 13 mobile early voting stations can be maintained.
According to the Akita Prefectural Election Committee, this is the first time that municipal officials have driven or used trucks in the prefecture.