TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Voting got under way across Japan on Sunday for a general election, as newly installed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks a fresh mandate amid greater scrutiny over the ruling party's handling of political funds.

The Liberal Democratic Party, along with its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, aims to retain a majority in the 465-member House of Representatives, but media polls have indicated they are facing headwinds.

In the first general election since 2021, each voter casts two ballots -- one to choose a candidate in a single-seat constituency and the other to select a party for proportional representation. The final election results are expected to be clear by early Monday.

Some 1,300 candidates are vying for the 465 seats -- 289 in single-seat districts and 176 through proportional representation.

Ishiba dissolved the lower house on Oct. 9, only eight days after taking office, vowing to restore public trust in politics and forge ahead with key policy initiatives.

The 67-year-old premier has pledged to prioritize easing the negative impact of inflation on households, bolstering Japan's defenses against security threats from its neighbors and enhancing regional economies and disaster resilience.

In the final days of the 12-day election campaign, however, the LDP faced a strong backlash after it was found to have provided 20 million ($132,000) to local branches led by its members who did not secure the party's official baking in the race due to a slush funds scandal.

The political funds scandal has continued to haunt the LDP since it emerged in late 2023, driving down public support to levels that ultimately forced Ishiba's predecessor Fumio Kishida to abandon reelection and make way for the incumbent.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is eager to bring about a change in government by capitalizing on growing discontent with the LDP, which has ruled Japan for most of the postwar era.

Before the recent dissolution, the more powerful lower house was controlled by the ruling camp, which had 288 seats, well above the majority line of 233. The LDP alone had 256, while the CDPJ had 98.

For the LDP to achieve its long-held goal of amending the country's Constitution, securing a two-thirds majority, or 310 seats, is a must, or no revision proposal can be initiated before a national referendum.