Akashian presidential election, 1975

Akashian presidential election, 1975

28 June 1975 (first round) 5 July 1975 (second round)
Turnout	88,1% (first round) 83,3% (second round)
Candidate Yurika Ehara Eiichi Watanabe Party NU NDP–UA Popular vote 2.478.373 2.458.625 Percentage 50,2% 49,8%
Most voted candidate by province (second round)
President before election Yurika Ehara NU President after election Yurika Ehara NU

A presidential election was held in Akashi on 28 June and 5 July 1975. This was the first presidential election to go to a second round, a pattern maintained by all subsequent elections.

Incumbent Yurika Ehara was challenged for re-election by candidates from the National Democratic Party–United Akashi electoral alliance, the Communist Party, and three extreme right candidates. Notably, the Socialist Party did not field a candidate at the urging of then-Prime Minister Kasumi Kuroki, and implicitly supported Yurikara's re-election.

The first round result was sensational: it was the first time Yurikara fell beneath the 50% threshold, necessitating a second round. The CP was disappointed by its result, and reluctantly decided to urge supporters to vote Yurikara in the second round to prevent a conservative victory. The NDP–UA alliance bitterly repudiated any potential vote transfers from the extreme right, and instead courted moderate voters tired of Yurikara's long tenure.

Yurikara won the second round by her narrowest majority: 50,2% against Eiichi Watanabe's 49,8%. Notably, Eiichi won majorities in 3 provinces — Takao, Kagi, and Shimachi, which Yurikara managed to counter by running up large majorities in Kobi and Matō, helped by left-wing voters eager to prevent a conservative victory.

Yurikara herself recognised that the re-election was only a reprieve on account of the 20.000-vote margin. On the night of 5 July, she told the Aku group, "There is no more room for error. One wrong move and I am done for."

Result

Presidential election, 28 June and 5 July 1975
Candidate		Party	1st round		2nd round
			Votes	%	Votes	%
	Yurika Ehara	National Union	2.396.660	45,9%	2.478.373	50,2%
	Eiichi Watanabe	National Democratic Party–United Akashi	1.331.478	25,5%	2.458.625	49,8%
	Ayako Kase	Communist Party	647.464	12,4%
	Ulfilas	Tax Cuts Party–Freedom League	308.067	5,9%
	Ichiyo Sada	Conservative National Party	292.403	5,6%
	Ayako Sōnō	Akashi Renewal Party	245.410	4,7%
Total			5.221.482	100%	4.936.998	100%
Registered voters and turnout			5.926.768	88,1%		83,3%