TOKYO �� Elections Sunday may clear the way for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to become Japan's longest-serving leader.
Polls project that Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito will maintain control of parliament while two opposition groups compete for second place. It's unclear whether Abe's coalition will retain its two-thirds majority, which would make it easier to pass changes to the constitution.
A victory for Abe would bring continuity to economic policies, including the monetary easing that has weakened the yen and bolstered exports in Asia's second-biggest economy. He's campaigned on his economic record, which includes six straight quarters of growth and low unemployment even as he's struggled against deflation and to boost pay.
Abe has cultivated close ties with President Donald Trump this year to keep the U.S. alliance strong during unease over North Korea's ballistic missiles. He's seeking the first change to the 70-year-old pacifist constitution to affirm the legality of Japan's Self-Defense Forces.
Abe called the election more than a year early apparently to capitalize on fear of North Korea, and a weakened opposition. The Constitutional Democratic Party, running second in most polls, was set up only about two weeks ago by former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano after its predecessor split up. Other opposition lawmakers defected to populist Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's Party of Hope.
The CDP has adopted a center-left agenda, with pledges to increase the minimum wage and resist attempts to revise the constitution. Koike's Hope party is closer to Abe's LDP on many issues, though has criticized him over cronyism scandals that hurt his popularity this year.
If the ruling coalition performs well, the LDP may keep Abe as its leader in a party election next September. This could open the way for him to stay on as prime minister until 2021.
The general election Sunday is the first to be held since the legal voting age was changed to 18. Turnout may be hurt by a typhoon on course for the south of the country.
