The Law for the Election of the Members of the House of Representatives shall be partially amended as follows:
"The Commissions for the Management of the Election of Members of the Municipal, Town and Village Assemblies," "the Commission for the Management of the Election of Members of the Metropolitan Assembly or the Commissions for the Management of the Election of Members of Hokkaido and Prefectural Assemblies," "the Heads of the Metropolis, Hokkaido and Prefectures," and "the Imperial Order" shall be altered respectively as "the City, Town and Village Election Administration Commission," "the Election Administration Commissions of the Metropolis, Hokkaido and Prefectures," "the Governors of the Metropolis, Hokkaido and Prefectures," and "the Cabinet Order."
Article 8. Commissioners and clerks of the Election Administration Commissions of the Metropolis, Hokkaido and Prefectures, these of the Election Administration Commissions of Cities, Towns and Villages, Voting Overseers, Ballot-Counting Overseers, Chairmen of Election, and Government and public officials who are connected with election business shall not be eligible for election within the districts with which they are concerned in such capacities.
Next to Article 22 the following Paragraph shall be added:
"When, on account of a natural calamity or other unavoidable eircumstances, polling places notified in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph have been altered, the Voting Overseer concerned may immediately notify it, in spite of the provisions of the preceding paragraph, except on the day of election."
Article 24. The Election Administration Commissions of Cities, Towns and Villages shall select and appoint three to five voting witnesses from among those registered on the electors'list of each voting district, with the consent of the persons in question, notifying it to the persons in question by the third day prior to the day of election.
When the number of the voting witnesses who attend the polling place does not reach three by the time of opening the polling place or the number has decreased to less than three after it has been opened, the voting overseers shall select and appoint voting witnesses to make their total number three, from among those registered on the electors'list of the voting district concerned and immediately notify it to those persons in question, to witness the voting.
A candidate can not be selected and appointed as a voting witness.
More than three persons belonging to the same political party or any other organization shall not be selected and appointed as voting witnesses for each voting district.
Voting witnesses shall not resign their office without proper reason.
Article 27-(2). For a voter who cannot write by himself the name of a candidate on account of physical inability, the voting overseers, on his application, may, in spite of the provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 30, Paragraph 1 of Article 52 and Paragraph 1 of the preceding Article, select and appoint a person, by inviting the opinions of the voting witnesses, and have him write the name of one candidate and put the ballot-paper into the ballotbox for the voter. In this case necessary matters shall be determined by Cabinet Order.
In Article 33, "On account of the circumstances specified by Imperial Order" shall read as "on account of the circumstances given in each of the following items," and the following shall be added next to the same Article:
1. It is required that the voter is performing his duties or engaging in his business outside the limits of the municipality, in the locality of the voting district to which he belongs (or outside the limits of the voting district in the case of a person who is performing duties connected with election);
2. With the exception of the case given in the preceding item, it is required that a voter is travelling or staying outside the limits of the municipality, in the locality of the voting district to which he belongs, on inevitable business or on account of unavoidable circumstances;
3. With the exception of the case given in the preceding item, it is required that a voter is extremely difficult of walking on account of an illness or an injury or pregnancy or disability or confinement in childbed.
Article 47. A candidate may select one person to be appointed a ballot-counting witness from among those registered on the electors'list of each ballot-counting district, with the consent of the person in question, and report it to the ballot-counting overseer by the third day prior to the day of election. However, the same person may be reported by different candidates.
When the persons reported for ballotcounting witnesses in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph (when the candidate dies or has declined candidacy or has come to fall under the provisions of Paragraph 8 of Article 67, the persons reported are excluded. Hereinafter the same shall apply) do not exceed ten in number, they shall be immediately appointed ballotcounting witnesses, but when the number exceeds ten, the persons reported shall mutually elect ten ballot-counting witnesses.
The mutual election in accordance with provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be conducted by vote, and the persons gaining majority votes shall be appointed ballotcounting witnesses.
In case of a tie, the ballot-counting overseer shall make the decision by drawing.
Ballot-counting witnesses to be appointed from among the persons reported as such by candidates who belong to the same political party or any other organization shall not exceed three in number.Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraphs 2 and 3, when there are more than three persons reported in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1 by candidates belonging to the same political party or any other organization, none other than two persons, who, in case it is possible to fix immediately ballot-counting witnesses, have been appointed as such from among them by the ballot-counting overseer by drawing, or two persons, who, in case ballot-counting witnesses should be fixed by mutual election, have been appointed as such by majority vote (or the two persons who have been appointed as such by the ballot-counting overseer by drawing in case of a tie). shall be made ballot-counting witnesses.
When ballot-counting witnesses, who have been reported by candidates belonging to the same political party or any other organization, have exceeded three in number, after the appointment of ballot-counting withnesses in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3 or the preceding paragraph, those other than the two persons who have been appointed ballotcounting witnesses by the ballot-counting overseer by drawing, shall lose their office.
The mutual election in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2 or the drawing in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 5 shall be conducted two days prior to the day of election.
The place and date for conducting the mutual election in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2 or the drawing in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 5 or Paragrapn 6, shall be notified before-hand by the ballot-counting overseer.
When the candidate dies or has declined candidacy or has come to fall under the Provisions of Paragraph 8 of Article 67, the ballot-counting witnesses reported by him shall lose their office.
When_the ballot-counting witnesses in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2 do not reach three in number or have later fallen short of the three persons, or the ballot-counting witnesses attending the ballot-counting place do not reach three in number at the time for opening it or have later fallen short of the said number, the ballot-counting overseer shall select and appoint ballot-counting witnesses until they reach three in number from among those registered on the electors'list of the ballot-counting district concerned and have them attend the ballot-counting, by notifying it immediately to the persons in question. However, persons belonging to the same political party or any other organization to which belongs the candidate who has reported the ballot-counting witness in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2, or the ballot-counting witness selected and appointed by the ballot-counting overseer, shall not be selected and appointed more than three persons including the ballot-counting witness reported by the candidate concerned or the ballot-counting witness selected and appointed by the ballot-counting overseer.
A candidate shall not become a ballot-counting witness.
A ballot-counting witness shall nor resign his office without proper reason.
In Article 61, "Article 24" shall be altered to "Article 47."
In Article 67, "Seven days" mentioned in Paragraph 1 and "two days" mentioned in Paragraph 3 shall be respectively altered to "ten days" and "three days," and the following two paragraphs shall be added after Paragraph 4 of the same Article:
The report specified by Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 concerning public officials of the State and local public entities who, in accordance with the provisions of law, are prohibited to concurrently hold the office of Member of the House of Representatives, shall not be filed unless after the person concerned has resigned the office of public official.
When a public official of the State or a local public entity who, in accordance with the provisions of law, is prohibited to hold concurrently the office of Member of the House of Representatives, has notified his intention to resign his office in order to be a candidate, he shall be deemed to have resigned his office on the tenth day after the notification, in spite of the provisions of the law and ordinance relative to the retirement of the public official concerned, in case he was not able to resign within ten days of the notification.
The following paragraph shall be added after Paragraph 5 of the same Article:
In case the person who filed the report specified in Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, has assumed the post of public official of the State or local public entities, which is prohibited to be held concurrently with the membership of the House of Representatives, he shall be regarded as having cancelled his candidacy for Diet membership.
In Paragraph 6 of the same Article, "preceding paragraph" shall read "Paragraph 7" and "that the candidate for Diet membership has died" shall read "that the candidate for Diet membership has died or come under the provision of the preceding paragraph."
In Paragraph 1 of Article 68, "\5,000" shall read "\30,000." In Paragraph 2 of the same Article, "one-tenth" shall read "one-fifth." In the proviso to Paragraph 3 of the same Article, "or has come under the provision of Paragraph 8 of the preceding Article" shall be added after "when he has cancelled his candidacy for Diet membership."
In Art.69, Par.5, "Art.74" shall read Art.73, Par.1."
Article 72. When the successful candidates have been decided, the Chairman of Election shall immediately notify the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Election Administration Commission of the name and address of the elected person, and the number of votes he has obtained, the total number of votes each candidate has obtained and other relevant matters.
When the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Brefectural Election Administration Commission concerned has received the report under the preceding paragraph, it shall immediately notify the successful candidate of his election and give public notice of the name and address of the successful candidate.
When there is no successful candidate or the number of successful candidates does not reach the number of members to be returned in the election, the Chairman of Election shall immediately report the fact to the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Election Administration Commission.
When the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Election Administration Commission has received the report prescribed in the preceding paragraph, it shall immediately give public notice of it.
Article 73. In case a successful candidate intends to decline election, he shall report his intention to the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Election Administration Commission within ten days from the day he received the notification of his election.
In case a successful candidate does not report his wish to decline his election within the period prescribed in the preceding paragraph, he shall be deemed to have accepted his election.
In Article 75, Paragraph 1, Item 5, "or Article 45, Paragraph 2 of the Law concerning the Regulation of Political Contributions and Expenditures" shall be added after "Art.84." In Item 6 of the same paragraph, "or Art.44 of the Law concerning the Regulation of Political Contributions and Expenditures" shall be added after "Art.136," and "or Art.143" in Par.3 of the same Article shall read "Art.143 of this Law or Art.46 the Law concerning the Regulation of Political Contributions and Expenditures."
Article 76. When the successful candidate has accepted his election, or when the period prescribed in Art.73, Par.1 has elapsed, the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Election Administration Commission shall immediately furnish him with a certificate of election and give public notice of his name and address and report it to the National Election Administration Commission through the Governor of the Metropolis, Hakkaido or Prefecture.
In Article 77, "Art.136" shall read "Art.136, or Art.44 or Art.45 of the Law concerning the Regulation of Political Contributions and Expenditures."
In Art.79, Par.3, "Art.74" shall read "Art.73, Par.1."
In Art.83, Par.1, "Paragraphs 1 and 2" shall read "Par.2 and Par.4."
In Art.84, Par.1 "Par.1," shall read "Par.2."
In Art.86, Paragraphs 1 and 2, "the Election Adminsitration Commission for the members of Metropolitan Assembly or the Election Administration Commission for the members of the Metropolitan, Hakkaido or Prefectural Assembly concerned" shall read "the Election Administration Commission of the Metropolis, Hokkaido or the Prefecture concerned."
Article 100-(2). No person shall be allowed to perform the deeds prescribed in the following items with a view to greeting the electors concerning success or failure in the election after the day of the election:
1. To make door-to-door visit to electors;
2. To distribute or display writings or pictures other than letters of one's own handwriting or letters written in reply to congratulation, consolation, etc. for success or failure in the election;
3. To utilize newspapers or magazines;
4. To hold a celebration or other meetings;
5. To make demonstration with a cavalcade of motor-cars or by parading many people on the streets in ranks;
6. To shout successively the name of the successful candidate or the name of a political party or any other organization with the purpose of replying to congratulations on the election.
In Articles 104 and 110, "responsible accountant" shall read "responsible treasurer."
Article 133. Any person who has violated the provisions of Art.100-(2) shall be liable to a fine of not more than \10,000.
In Art.137, Par.1, "Art.130 and Art.132" shall read "Art.130, Art.132 and Art.133" and "those who have been sentenced to imprisonment or heavier punishment" shall be deleted.
Article 140-(2). The Election Administration Commission of the Metropolis, Hokkaido or the Prefectures, and of the Cities, Towns or Villages, shall widely inform the electors of the method of voting, election violations, and other matters which are deemed especially necessary regarding elections, and shall also provide adequate measures for the avoidance of abstention from voting.
Article 140-(3). Public procurators, national police officials, committee members of the Public Safety Committees of the Metropolis, Hokkaido or Prefectures and of the Cities, Towns or Villages, and local police officials, shall strictly enforce the provisions regarding control of elections, and shall maintain the fairness of elections.
In Art.143, "the Election Administration Commission for the members of Metropolitan Assembly or the Election Administration Commission for the members of the Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Assembly concerned" shall read "the said Metropolitan, Hokkaido or Prefectural Election Administration Commission."
Article 144. Concerning the application of the present Law, the Whole Affairs Organization and Office Affairs Organization shall be regarded as a Town or Village, and the office of the Organization concerned as a Town Office or Village Office.
Article 144-(2). Even when an area of a county or area under the jurisdiction of a Local Government Branch Office shown as per Attached List has been changed, so far as the electoral districts are concerned, they shall remain as they have been;however, this shall not apply to when a county limits has been affected due to the change of boundary of a City, Town or Village, or due to the promotion of a Town or Village to a City or the demotion of a City into a Town or Village.
Article 144-(3). Deleted.
In Article 145, Paragraph 1, "words in Tokyo Metropolis" shall read "special wards" ; "as well as Article 6 and Article 82, Paragraph 1 of the Law governing the Municipal Organization" shall read "and Article 155, Paragraph 2 of the Local Autonomy Law" ; "the provisions pertaining to City-the wards" shall read "the provisions pertaining to City-special wards or wards" ; "the Control Commission for the Election of Members of a Municipal Assembly and its Commissioners" shall read "the Election Administration Commission of a City and its Commissioners" ; "the Control Commission for the Election of Members of a Ward Assembly and its Commissioners or the Election Administration Commission in the locality of the district for the members of the Municipal Assembly and Election Administration Commissioners in the locality of the district for the members of the Municipal Assembly" shall read "the Election Administration Commission of a Special ward or ward and its commissioners" ; "within the area of the ward concerned" ;shall read "within the area of the special ward or ward concerned" ;and Paragraph 2 of the same Article shall be deleted.
Article 148. Cabinet Orders concerning election shall be decided as drafted by the National Election Administration Commission.