IDF Soldiers to Vote Early in Upcoming Elections Amid Operational Challenges

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing to facilitate voting for soldiers in the upcoming elections, beginning next week. For the first time, voting will occur even as forces operate beyond Israel's borders. Over 800 ballot boxes will be set up in operational zones and military units to allow active-duty and reserve soldiers to cast their ballots.

The early voting period in the IDF will commence on the evening of October 20 and continue for seven days, concluding on the general election day, October 27. The IDF will deploy hundreds of stationary and mobile ballot boxes, with mobile units traveling between bases according to a predetermined schedule. Each mobile polling station will be secured by an armed officer or non-commissioned officer, and the ballot box seal will remain locked during transit.

Soldiers will have the option to vote at either a military polling station or a civilian one. Voting at military stations will utilize double envelopes to ensure voters are eligible and vote only once. Colonel Vered Ben Yehuda has been appointed as the IDF's Elections Officer, in addition to her role as head of the IDF Employee Employment Center. The election operation will involve hundreds of election officers and approximately 3,000 trained soldiers serving on polling committees.

Each polling committee will consist of four service members trained in voting procedures and ballot box management. The IDF emphasizes that the operation's purpose is to enable voting and maintain the integrity of the process, without engaging in political content or voter stances, thereby preserving the army's state-oriented character and keeping it outside political discourse.