Media exit polls show that a majority of those in their 20s or younger voted for the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, Komeito, in Sunday's Upper House election. Observers said the result doesn't necessarily reflect their active support for the ruling coalition but rather their wish to stick to the status quo.
Sunday's election was the first time 18- and 19-year-olds were given suffrage following electoral reform last year that was meant to shore up turnout among a generation notoriously indifferent to politics.
An exit poll by the Asahi Shimbun showed that 40 percent of teens who cast ballots Sunday voted for the LDP and 10 percent for Komeito under the proportional representation category. An exit poll conducted by Jiji Press found a similar result.