Tokyo, July 20 (QNA) - Voting got underway on Sunday in Japan's House of Councillors election.

Upper house members serve fixed six-year terms, unlike those in the House of Representatives, which can be dissolved by the prime minister. Half of the upper house members are replaced in elections held every three years to prevent a complete turnover.

Of the 125 seats, including one to fill a vacancy, 75 will be chosen in electoral districts and 50 through proportional representation. Around 520 candidates are vying for the seats.

Voters cast two ballots -- one to select a candidate for their electoral district and the other for proportional representation, under which seats are allocated based on the total number of votes received by each group and its listed candidates.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, currently hold 75 seats that are not up for re-election. To maintain their majority in the 248-seat upper chamber, the ruling coalition -- facing declining approval ratings in recent opinion polls -- must secure at least 50 seats in the upcoming election. (QNA)