Israeli Parties Forge Alliances to Maximize Knesset Seats Through Vote Surplus Deals
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Israeli parties are entering into "residual vote" agreements to maximize their representation in the Knesset by pooling votes for seat distribution after the election. Key alliances include the "Change Bloc" parties, Likud with Religious Zionism, and the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. Notably, Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit failed to secure a vote-sharing deal. These agreements, utilizing the Bader-Ofer method, allow allied parties to be treated as a single list for distributing remaining seats, potentially securing crucial extra mandates for coalition building.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli parties are forming "residual vote" agreements to increase Knesset seat allocation before the October 27 election.
- The "Change Bloc," Likud with Religious Zionism, and ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and UTJ have finalized vote-sharing deals.
- Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party failed to reach an agreement with potential partners.
- These pacts allow allied parties to be treated as a single list for distributing remaining Knesset seats.
- The Bader-Ofer method is used to calculate which parties receive additional seats from residual votes.
- Agreements are void if a party fails to cross the electoral threshold independently.
Ahead of the October 27 elections, Israeli political parties are finalizing agreements to redistribute surplus votes, a legal mechanism designed to prevent the loss of votes and increase their chances of securing additional Knesset seats. These "residual vote" agreements, in place since the state's inception, allow ideologically aligned parties to pool their votes after the election to gain an advantage in the distribution of the 120 parliamentary seats.
The "Change Bloc" of four opposition Zionist parties has reached agreements. Naftali Bennett of Yamina and Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu were among the first to agree. Gadi Eisenkot of Derech Eretz partnered with Yair Golan's Democrats, with Eisenkot stating the goal was to "best organize the camp of change and hope." The Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, also signed an agreement, pledging a clean campaign and respectful discourse.
In the right-wing bloc, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich of Religious Zionism reached an agreement. This left Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party with limited options, ultimately failing to secure a deal with Ofer Winter's Am Israel party or other potential partners like Yoaz Hendel's Reservists Party or Yaron Zelicha's Economic Party.
Two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, also finalized their agreement, vowing continued cooperation in the next Knesset on issues concerning Torah scholars. The deadline for these agreements, which must be approved by the Central Elections Committee, was October 16.
The residual vote system operates using the Bader-Ofer method. After parties exceeding the 3.25% electoral threshold are identified, a quota of votes per seat is calculated. Parties receive whole seats based on this quota, and any remaining votes are considered "residual." These residual votes are then used to distribute the remaining seats among parties that have formed agreements, treating them as a single list for calculation purposes. The party or pair of parties with the highest calculated ratio of votes to seats plus one receives an additional seat. If a pair of parties wins a seat, an internal calculation determines which of the two receives it.
These agreements are crucial for strengthening political blocs, as even one or two additional seats can be decisive in forming a coalition. However, the agreement is void if either party fails to cross the electoral threshold on its own, as their votes are not combined for that initial hurdle. Parties without agreements still compete for residual seats individually, but without the strategic advantage of a combined vote count.