TOKYO -- Japan is voting Sunday in a general election that will decide whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party retains its solo majority -- and the fate of new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's fledgling government.

The LDP went into the election facing tight races in about 40% of single-seat districts, according to Nikkei's polling . With the party expected to lose some of the 276 seats it held before the dissolution of the lower house in mid-October, these close constituencies will determine whether it clears the 233-seat threshold for a majority on its own. Its ruling coalition with Komeito, however, looked poised to retain majority control.

For a primer on how Japan's electoral system works, read our five things to know . And see here for all our election coverage .

Here are the latest developments (Tokyo time):

5:30 p.m. Voters have until 8 p.m. to cast their ballots . Once the polling stations close, initial exit polls will provide a picture of how the night will play out. Most results are expected to be confirmed by the early hours of Monday.

If the LDP fails to retain its single-party majority, it could significantly weaken the Kishida government, formed on Oct. 4. Japan could see a repeat of the state of affairs before Shinzo Abe became prime minister in 2012, when the country went through a series of short-lived governments.

Here's how the lower house of the Diet, Japan's parliament, looked before former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga resigned and his replacement, Kishida, dissolved the chamber.