Maeda Atsuko(前田敦子) captures #1 spot in AKB48′s 3rd Senbatsu Election

AKB48 held its 3rd Senbatsu election on Thursday, determining the participating members for AKB48′s 22nd single. This year, the #1 spot was recaptured by Maeda Atsuko(前田敦子), after being narrowly defeated by Oshima Yuko(大島優子) last year.



As expected, this year’s election dwarfed last year’s, with a total vote count of more than 1 million votes. The top 40 members received a combined 1.08 million votes, compared to 354,000 for last year’s top 40. Maeda beat Oshima by a margin of approximately 17,000 votes – 139,892 to 122,843. In 2010, Oshima surpassed Maeda by less than 600 votes – 31,448 to 30,851.

Kashiwagi Yuki(柏木由紀) took #3, up five spots from last year. Sashihara Rino(指原莉乃) climbed 10 spots to #9. Umeda Ayaka(梅田彩佳) and Takayanagi Akane(高柳明音) also took big leaps in the rankings, though they fell just short of the cut between the Senbatsu members and the under girls.

150 members were eligible for this year’s election, making it highly competitive. Like the last time, the top 12 are appointed as the “Media Senbatsu” (for promoting the new single) and the top 21 will participate on the single’s title track. #22 through #40 are the “under girls,” who will be included on the single’s various B-sides.

The single does not yet have a title, but it is scheduled for release on August 24, 2011.

The complete election rankings are listed below with vote counts. Ranking changes from last year are in parentheses.

Maeda Atsuko(前田敦子) (Team A) – 139892 (↑1)
Oshima Yuko(大島優子) (Team K) – 122843 (↓1)
Kashiwagi Yuki(柏木由紀) (Team B) – 74252 (↑5)
Shinoda Mariko (Team A) – 60539 (↓1)
Watanabe Mayu(篠田麻里子) (Team B) – 59118 (→)
Kojima Haruna(渡辺麻友) (Team A) – 52920 (↑1)
Takahashi Minami(高橋みなみ) (Team A) – 52790 (↓1)
Itano Tomomi(板野友美) (Team K) – 50403 (↓4)
Sashihara Rino(指原莉乃) (Team A) – 45227 (↑10)
Matsui Rena(松井珠理奈) (Team S) – 36929 (↑1)
Miyazawa Sae(宮澤佐江) (Team K) – 33500 (↓2)
Takajo Aki(高城亜樹) (Team A) – 31009 (↑1)
Kitahara Rie(北原里英) (Team B) – 27957 (↑3)
Matsui Jurina(松井珠理奈) (Team S) – 27804 (↓4)
Minegishi Minami(峯岸みなみ) (Team K) – 26070 (↓1)
Kasai Tomomi(河西智美) (Team B) – 22857 (↓4)
Akimoto Sayaka(秋元才加) (Team K) – 17154 (→)
Sato Amina(佐藤亜美菜) (Team B) – 16574 (→)
Yokoyama Yui(横山由依) (Team K) – 16455 (NEW)
Masuda Yuka(増田有華) (Team B) – 14137 (↑5)
Kuramochi Asuka(倉持明日香) (Team A) – 12387 (↑2)
Umeda Ayaka(梅田彩佳) (Team K) – 11860 (↑10)
Takayanagi Akane(高柳明音) (Team KII) – 11674 (↑12)
Nakagawa Haruka(仲川遥香) (Team A) – 10854 (↓4)
Ohta Aika(多田愛佳) (Team A) – 9910 (↓2)
Hirajima Natsumi(平嶋夏海) (Team B) – 9742 (→)
Miyazaki Miho(宮崎美穂) (Team B) – 9271 (↓6)
Yamamoto Sayaka(山本彩) (Team N) – 8697 (NEW)
Oya Shizuka(大家志津香) (Team A) – 7264 (NEW)
Oya Masana(大矢真那) (Team S) – 6660 (↓6)
Nito Moeno(仁藤萌乃) (Team K) – 6288 (↓2)
Komori Mika(小森美果) (Team B) – 6120 (↓2)
Hata Sawako(秦佐和子) (Team KII) – 6117 (NEW)
Sato Sumire(佐藤すみれ) (Team B) – 5438 (↓3)
Oba Mina(大場美奈) (Team 4) – 5411 (NEW)
Suda Akari(須田亜香里) (Team S) – 5343 (NEW)
Maeda Ami(前田亜美) (Team A) – 5220 (NEW)
Matsui Sakiko(松井咲子) (Team K) – 5020 (NEW)
Ichikawa Miori(市川美織) (Team 4) – 4928 (NEW)
Fujie Reina(藤江れいな) (Team K) – 4698 (↓7)

This year’s election was streamed live to 97 screens in 86 theaters across Japan, as well as 10 screens in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.



Source: tokyograph.com