Abe 'set for big win' in Japan poll

Japan voted on Sunday in a snap election likely to hand Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party a huge win.

The poll's been cast as a referendum on his Abenomics economic strategy to end deflation and generate growth.

The state of the economy was very much on the minds of voters.

(SOUNDBITE)(Japanese) RUMI ISOZUMI, VOTER, SAYING:

"I think Abenomics is the central issue in this election. The government is not clearly telling us how it works an where it's expected to end. People are still saying the economy is bad, so we're concerned about the economy if the government raises the consumption tax further to ten per cent."

Abe's hoping to turn around the economy with a combination of hyper-easy monetary policy, government spending and reforms.

The plan suffered a setback when the economy slipped into recession in the third quarter after April's sales tax rise.

This latest election looks set to allow Abe to claim a fresh mandate.