A hotel room prepared for people infected with the novel coronavirus is shown in August 2020 in Fukuoka. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Health protocols enforced during the novel coronavirus crisis have made it effectively impossible for some infected patients to vote in elections, a possible violation of their constitutional rights.
Patients with mild conditions are supposed to stay at hotels or other facilities for recuperation, even on election days. Although absentee and early voting are available, these systems have proved insufficient to deal with the problem as the virus continues to spread around the nation.
Local governments are calling for legal revisions ahead of the Lower House election scheduled for autumn at the latest.
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