Israelis Abroad Begin Voting for 2026 Knesset Elections

By מערכת ice

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

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Hebrew · 21 newsrooms covering

Israelis serving abroad began voting for the 2026 Knesset elections on Thursday, with approximately 4,800 eligible voters casting ballots at 101 polling stations in 99 diplomatic missions. President Isaac Herzog attended the opening of polling stations at the Israeli Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, calling it a "celebration of democracy." The 26th Knesset elections are scheduled for October 27, 2026, marking the first time in 38 years an election will be held on schedule. The Central Elections Committee has approved 38 candidate slates and their identification letters.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

Israelis abroad began voting on Thursday for the 2026 Knesset elections at 101 polling stations in 99 diplomatic missions.
President Isaac Herzog attended the opening of polling stations at the Israeli Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The 26th Knesset elections are scheduled for October 27, 2026, the first on schedule in 38 years.
Around 12,000 polling stations will operate across Israel on election day, a public holiday.
The Central Elections Committee approved 38 candidate slates and their identification letters.
Otzma Yehudit secured the use of the letter 'Bet' for the national elections over Naftali Bennett's party.

Israelis Abroad Begin Voting for 2026 Knesset Elections — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

With less than two weeks until the 2026 elections, Israeli citizens abroad began casting their ballots on Thursday. Approximately 4,800 state envoys and their eligible family members voted at 101 polling stations set up in 99 Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide.

President Isaac Herzog visited the Israeli Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday to mark the opening of the polling stations there. He was accompanied by Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ronen Kraus. Herzog stated that the representatives abroad are among the first in the world to vote in Israeli elections, calling the process a "celebration of democracy." He urged all citizens to exercise their right to vote and influence Israel's future, emphasizing that elections are not a civil war but a democratic process for shaping the nation's direction, especially after a challenging period for Israel.

The 26th Knesset elections are scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2026. This election marks the first time in 53 years that a government will complete its full term, and the first election held on schedule in 38 years. Across Israel, around 12,000 polling stations will be established, including accessible stations, and those in hospitals, prisons, and IDF bases. Election day is a public holiday, with most polling stations open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Voters can use their ID card, valid Israeli passport, or valid driver's license.

The Central Elections Committee recently approved a list of 38 candidate slates for the 26th Knesset elections and their identification letters. The committee, led by Judge Noam Sohlberg, made decisions on letter assignments, including a dispute over the letter 'Bet.' The committee ultimately granted the right to use 'Bet' for national elections to Itamar Ben-Gvir's party, Otzma Yehudit, over Naftali Bennett's party.