The biggest event of the year for AKB48, The 8th AKB48 General Election (AKB48 45th Single General Election) arrives next Saturday on June 18. The event will be held at the HARD OFF ECO Stadium Niigata in Niigata City, home of the new 48 sister group, NGT48. FUJI TV will be providing live coverage for the 5th straight year (6:30pm – 9:24pm JST). Who will stand at the top of 272 members? Who do you think will reign as the new queen in AKB48 for 2016?

As with the previous elections, fans vote for the top 80 members who will participate in the next single, chosen from the current groups AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, and NGT48. Voting started last May 31, the “flying get” day for the group’s latest single “Tsubasa wa Iranai”. The respective positions are: Rank 1 – 16 (Senbatsu), Rank 17 – 32 (Under Girls), Rank 33 – 48 (Next Girls), Rank 49 – 64 (Future Girls), and Rank 65 – 80 (Upcoming Girls).

The group with most members to rank or the “majority party” will be given 3 rewards; an original setlist which starts October 2016, a ‘Thank you’ festival for fans, and LINE stamps. Miyane Seiji and Yurika Mita will serve as MCs while former AKB48 member Takahashi Minami will make a guest appearance.

Prior to the main event, you can check out the preliminary results below. This was announced last June 1 at the AKB48 Theater. Who got an early lead? Find out below.

Ads line up the stairs of JR Niigata station, venue of the general election

Preliminary Results

1. Watanabe Mayu (AKB48 Team B) (42,034 votes)
2. Sashihara Rino (HKT48 Team H) (41,127 votes)
3. Matsui Jurina (SKE48 Team S) (35,469 votes)
4. Yamamoto Sayaka (NMB48 Team N) (26,680 votes)
5. Suda Akari (SKE48 Team E) (22,536 votes)
6. Kashiwagi Yuki (AKB48 Team B / NGT48 Team NIII) (20,988 votes)
7. Okada Nana (AKB48 Team 4) (14,889 votes)
8. Kodama Haruka (HKT48 Team H / AKB48 Team K) (13,599 votes)
9. Takeuchi Saki (SKE48 Team KII) (12,935 votes)
10. Takahashi Juri (AKB48 Team 4) (12,705 votes)
11. Nyan Nyan Kamen (?) (12,630 votes)
12. Miyawaki Sakura (HKT48 Team KIV / AKB48 Team A) (12,410 votes)
13. Oshima Ryoka (AKB48 Team B) (11,888 votes)
14. Okita Ayaka (NMB48 Team M) (11,426 votes)
15. Kawamoto Saya (AKB48 Team 4) (11,379 votes)
16. Fuchigami Mai (HKT48 Team KIV) (11,146 votes)

---

17. Shimazaki Haruka (AKB48 Team A) (10,610 votes)
18. Komiyama Haruka (AKB48 Team 4) (10,043 votes)
19. Tani Marika (SKE48 Team E) (9,851 votes)
20. Mogi Shinobu (AKB48 Team K) (9,826 votes)
21. Kuranoo Narumi (AKB48 Team 8) (9,349 votes)
22. Suto Ririka (NMB48 Team N) (9,136 votes)
23. Kojina Yui (HKT48 Team H) (9,070 votes)
24. Yagura Fuuko (NMB48 Team M) (8,848 votes)
25. Inoue Yuriya (HKT48 Team H) (8,709 votes)
26. Yokoyama Yui (AKB48 Team A) (8,701 votes)
27. Ego Yuna (SKE48 Team KII) (8,410 votes)
28. Okada Ayaka (AKB48 Team 4) (8,372 votes)
29. Mukaichi Mion (AKB48 Team K) (8,341 votes)
30. Kojima Mako (AKB48 Team 4) (8,300 votes)
31. Mutou Tomu (AKB48 Team K) (8,208 votes)
32. Sasaki Yukari (AKB48 Team A) (7,873 votes)

---

33. Omori Miyuu (AKB48 Team 4) (7,715 votes)
34. Ota Yuuri (NMB48 Team N) (7,635 votes)
35. Taniguchi Megu (AKB48 Team A) (7,550 votes)
36. Motomura Aoi (HKT48 Team KIV) (7,481 votes)
37. Furuhata Nao (SKE48 Team KII) (7,154 votes)
38. Sakaguchi Riko (HKT48 Team H) (6,971 votes)
39. Tomiyoshi Asuka (HKT48 Team KIV) (6,953 votes)
40. Shiroma Miru (NMB48 Team M / AKB48 Team A) (6,929 votes)
41. Sakai Mei (SKE48 Team E) (6,410 votes)
42. Matsuoka Natsumi (HKT48 Team H) (6,364 votes)
43. Kamata Natsuki (SKE48 Team E) (6,334 votes)
44. Takayanagi Akane (SKE48 Team KII) (6,318 votes)
45. Yabushita Shu (NMB48 Team BII) (6,150 votes)
46. Futamura Haruka (SKE48 Team S) (6,039 votes)
47. Nakanishi Chiyori (AKB48 Team A) (5,951 votes)
48. Wakatabe Haruka (HKT48 Team H) (5,936 votes)

---

49. Tashima Meru (HKT48 Team H) (5,930 votes)
50. Kitahara Rie (NGT48 Team NIII) (5,924 votes)
51. Moriyasu Madoka (HKT48 Team KIV) (5,900 votes)
52. Yabuki Nako (HKT48 Team H / AKB48 Team B) (5,734 votes)
53. Sakaguchi Nagisa (AKB48 Team 8 / AKB48 Team B) (5,667 votes)
54. Oba Mina (SKE48 Team KII) (5,656 votes)
55. Kitagawa Ryoha (SKE48 Team S / AKB48 Team 4) (5,587 votes)
56. Murashige Anna (HKT48 Team KIV) (5,403 votes)
57. Tanaka Miku (HKT48 Team H) (5,365 votes)
58. Soda Sarina (SKE48 Team KII (5,356 votes)
59. Kato Rena (AKB48 Team B) (5,273 votes)
60. Iwatate Saho (AKB48 Team 4) (5,248 votes)
61. Tomonaga Mio (HKT48 Team KIV / AKB48 Team 4) (5,070 votes)
62. Kizaki Yuria (AKB48 Team B) (4,794 votes)
63. Ueki Nao (HKT48 Team KIV) (4,691 votes)
64. Arai Yuki (SKE48 Team KII) (4,666 votes)

---

65. Minegishi Minami (AKB48 Team K) (4,560 votes)
66. Tanaka Natsumi (HKT48 Team H) (4,552 votes)
67. Hidaka Yuzuki (SKE48 Team KII) (4,441 votes)
68. Nishino Miki (AKB48 Team 4) (4,300 votes)
69. Imada Mina (HKT48 Team KIV) (4,284 votes)
70. Noguchi Yume (SKE48 Team S) (4,203 votes)
71. Murase Sae (NMB48 Team M) (4,046 votes)
72. Oya Shizuka (AKB48 Team A) (3,993 votes)
73. Iriyama Anna (AKB48 Team A) (3,872 votes)
74. Shinozaki Ayana (AKB48 Team K) (3,826 votes)
75. Shimono Yuki (HKT48 Team KIV) (3,778 votes)
76. Miyazaki Miho (AKB48 Team A) (3,607 votes)
77. Goto Risako (SKE48 Team S) (3,535 votes)
78. Komada Hiroka (HKT48 Team H) (3,504 votes)
79. Takeuchi Mai (SKE48 Team S) (3,426 votes)
80. Kumazaki Haruka (SKE48 Team E) (3,375 votes)

---

81. Akiyoshi Yuka (HKT48 Team H) (3,369 votes)
82. Kato Yuuka (NMB48 Team N) (3,299 votes)
83. Kishino Rika (NMB48 Team N) (3,258 votes)
84. Owada Nana (AKB48 Team A) (3,045 votes)
85. Kimoto Kanon (SKE48 Team E) (3,020 votes)
86. Shibuya Nagisa (NMB48 Team BII / AKB48 Team 4) (2,970 votes)
87. Aoki Shiori (SKE48 Team KII) (2,946 votes)
88. Fukuoka Seina (AKB48 Team B) (2,831 votes)
89. Saito Makiko (SKE48 Team E) (2,813 votes)
90. Fujie Reina (NMB48 Team M) (2,794 votes)
91. Ogino Yuka (NGT48 Team NIII) (2,515 votes)
92. Nakai Rika (NGT48 Team NIII) (2,502 votes)
93. Tanaka Yuka (HKT48 Team KIV) (2,494 votes)
94. Ichikawa Miori (NMB48 Team BII) (2,483 votes)
95. Goto Rara (SKE48 Team E) (2,420 votes)
96. Kojima Natsuki (AKB48 Team A) (2,394 votes)
97. Yoshida Akari (NMB48 Team N) (2,393 votes)
98. Matsuoka Hana (HKT48 Team TII) (2,356 votes)
99. Miyamae Ami (SKE48 Team S) (2,305 votes)
100. Ueno Haruka (HKT48 Team H) (2,283 votes)

(via Oricon, Nikkansports, Oricon2)