A total of 465 seats are up for grabs in the February 8 House of Representatives election.

NNN and the Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a survey from February 3 to 5 on the outlook for the general election.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has gained more momentum than in the early stages of the campaign and is poised to exceed 261 seats, the threshold for an absolute stable majority which enables steady parliamentary management for deliberating bills and budgets.

The LDP’s coalition partner Japan Innovation Party has maintained a solid performance in its home base of Osaka but is struggling for support at a nationwide level, making it uncertain whether it can secure the 34 seats it had before the election.

Together, the ruling bloc appears to be on track to surpass 300 seats.

On the other hand, opposition parties are showing a different picture.

The new Centrist Reform Alliance, which had a combined 167 seats between the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito, may fall below 100 seats.

The Democratic Party for the People, which made significant gains in last year’s upper house election, is in a tight race to retain 27 seats.

The Sanseito party is expected to significantly increase its seats from the pre-election total of two.

Team Mirai had no seats in the lower house before the election but is showing momentum to secure 10 or more seats through proportional representation.

The Japanese Communist Party is unlikely to maintain its eight seats.

Yukoku Rengo may win multiple seats in single-seat constituencies.

Reiwa Shinsengumi is expected to fall significantly below its eight seats and is facing a tough battle to secure seats in proportional representation.

The Japan Conservative Party is also in a close contest to determine whether it can secure any seats.

The Social Democratic Party may struggle to win a seat.

But because a considerable number of respondents did not name a candidate or party they intend to vote for, the situation could still change.

The election survey was conducted by phone and online, with responses received from a total of 356,593 people.

Of the 465 seats in the lower house, 289 are contested in single-member constituencies and 176 in proportional representation.

Voters cast ballots for candidates in the single-seat districts and for political parties in the proportional representation blocs, in which seats are allocated to parties based on their share of votes.