[Kyoto Prefecture] April 5th (Sunday) is the Voting Day for the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election! "Will Kyoto's New Students Vote or Not?" A survey was conducted at entrance ceremonies for Ritsumeikan University, Ryukoku University, etc. The surprising result was 80.76% "Will Vote".

The Kyoto Prefectural Election Administration Commission conducted a pre-entrance ceremony survey on April 2nd, three days before the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election voting day, asking Kyoto-based university freshmen whether they would vote in the election as part of its youth-oriented PR efforts. A total of 395 new university students in Kyoto who attended their entrance ceremonies cooperated with the survey. The percentage of students who answered they would vote in the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election, to be held and counted on April 5th, was 80.76%, significantly exceeding the overall voter turnout of 37.58% in the previous Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election in 2022. ## Kyoto University New Students' "Governor's Election Go? Don't Go?" Rate The results showed that 319 new students, or 80.76% of the total, answered they "might go," while 76 students, or 19.24% of the total, answered they "might not go." This result significantly surpassed the overall voter turnout of 37.58% in the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election held in 2022. Voices of New University Students Who Cooperated with the Survey When asked for their reasons for answering "might go" to the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election, university students gave youthful responses such as "It's normal to go," "I haven't researched the candidates yet, but I will soon...", and "I learned in high school that voting is important." Some students also responded that they had already completed their early voting, indicating a high level of awareness regarding the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election. When asked for reasons for answering "might not go," university students cited concerns such as "I'm anxious about my knowledge of elections," "I have dance plans," "I just moved to Kyoto, so I can't vote even if I want to," and "I'm busy." When informed about the existence of early voting for those who had plans on the election day, they showed surprised reactions. Survey Overview Survey Name: "Will You Vote? Won't You Vote" Vote 2026 for the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election Objective: Survey on voting awareness among new university students in Kyoto Prefecture Period: April 2, 2026 (Thursday) 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM Location 1: Near Miyako Messe, Kyoto City Location 2: Near the Annex Hall, National Kyoto International Conference Center Target Audience: University freshmen passing by the vicinity of the above locations 1 & 2 (Ritsumeikan University, Ryukoku University) Method: Sticker placement on a board (anonymous) Valid Responses: 395 Survey Cooperation For the PR event survey at the university entrance ceremonies in Kyoto Prefecture, we received cooperation from the staff of NPO Mielka, a non-profit organization primarily active with university students in Kyoto. ▶︎ NPO Mielka (Mielka) https://mielka.org/ https://www.instagram.com/mielka_japan/ https://x.com/mielka_japan NPO Mielka (Mielka) This NPO, established in 2016 with a focus on youth and politics, is operated mainly by students. Recognizing the crisis of declining youth voter turnout and political engagement, it aims to convey messages for the young generation to consider social and political issues as their own, from a youthful perspective and in a politically neutral and fair manner. It undertakes various events, projects, and initiatives to reach not only those who are regularly interested in politics and social issues but also those "who are not usually very interested." ## Future Survey PR Events On April 3rd (Friday), a similar survey PR will be conducted at the entrance ceremony of Kyoto University of Science and Technology. As it will be held on campus, in addition to the survey PR conducted at the two universities mentioned above, we plan to screen CM videos and hold a "Voting Experience Event." ▶︎ Participating School: Kyoto University of Science and Technology ▶︎ Survey Venue: In front of the Kamiyama Hall on campus ▶ Survey Period: April 3, 2026 (Friday) approximately 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ## Special Website Kyoto Prefecture is also releasing various content online as part of its efforts to increase voter turnout. The special website features two pages: "Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election Information" and "Easy-to-Understand Elections" for children, consolidating election-related information and content. "Easy-to-Understand Elections" includes a "Children's Voting Booth" where users can experience mock voting, as well as content like "What are Local Elections?" and "Coloring Page Downloads," allowing both children and adults to learn about elections. ▶︎ Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election Special Website https://www.kyoto-senkyo2026.jp/ ### About Voting Day and Early Voting The voting day for the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election and the by-election for the Ukyo Ward constituency of the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly is April 5th (Sunday), from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM (excluding some areas). Early voting for the Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election runs from March 20th (Friday) to April 4th (Saturday), and for the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly by-election, from March 28th (Saturday) to April 4th (Saturday). Voting hours for early voting are from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM (excluding some early voting stations). ▶︎ List of Early Voting Locations for the Reiwa 8 (2026) Kyoto Prefectural Governor's Election https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/senkyo/documents/r8kizitsumae.pdf 《Inquiries regarding this matter from the general public》 Kyoto Prefectural Election Administration Commission Secretariat Address: Yabunouchi-cho, Nishinotoin-Nishi-iru, Shimotachiuri-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City TEL: 075-414-4450 (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 8:30 AM - 5:15 PM) FAX: 075-451-5452 URL: http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/senkyo/index.html