Millions of Japanese citizens braved typhoon conditions to vote in the snap election which is set to see Abe become Japan’s longest-serving post-war leader.
If polls are correct, Mr Abe is set to turn his current conservative coalition into a majority after the weather is rumoured to have boosted his cause.
Analysts say a low turnout is more likely to benefit Mr Abe, whose conservative voters are more determined to get him into power.
Media forecasts show Ade’s gamble to hold a snap election is likely to pay off as Japanese voters appear to decide to stick with what they know.
The opposition is characterised by a lack of experience with the Party of Hope and the centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party have only existed for a few weeks.
Despite his lead in the polls, critics say the Prime Minister called the election to divert attention from a series of scandals that damaged his popularity.
Mr Abe urged voters to stick with him as Japan encounter what he called a dual “national crises” with the nation facing an ageing population and the growing threat from Kim Jong-un.
Prime Minister Abe has taken a threatening stance during the North Korean crisis after Pyongyang cast a menacing shadow over the short 12-day campaign.
Uniting with the US, Japan’s leader said that “all options” are on the table to counter Kim’s nuclear threat.
Mr Abe said: “When North Korea is purposefully threatening us and increasing tension, we must not waver.
“We must not yield to the threat of North Korea.”
North Korea has recently threatened to “sink” Japan into the sea after Pyongyang fired two missiles over Hokkaido, an island in the north.
One voter Yoshihisa Iemori told AFP: ”I support Abe’s stance not to give in to North Korea’s pressure,
“I’m focusing on this point for the election.
The Japanese leader is hoping his party will win a two-thirds majority, allowing him to make constitutional changes.
Mr Abe wants to change Japan’s self-defence force into a national army for the first time since World War Two as the threat from Kim’s hermit kingdom increases.
Other policies Abe plans to look at include the post-Fukushima nuclear policy and the issue of tax.
The polls close at 8pm local time.