67,000 Israelis Abroad Plan to Vote in Upcoming Elections, Initiative Reports
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
An initiative called Fly&Vote estimates that around 67,000 Israelis living abroad plan to vote in the upcoming elections, potentially representing 1.7 Knesset seats. This estimate follows a legal challenge by the Likud party. A survey by the initiative found nearly 80% of respondents intend to vote in person, a significant increase from 2022. Fly&Vote cautions that the data is based on voluntary registrations and not actual passenger numbers.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Approximately 67,000 Israelis abroad are expected to vote in the upcoming elections.
- The Fly&Vote initiative estimates this bloc could be worth 1.7 Knesset seats.
- The Likud party had previously filed a legal challenge against the initiative.
- A survey by Fly&Vote showed 79.6% of respondents plan to vote in person.
- This figure is a significant increase compared to the 14% who voted in person in 2022.
The Fly&Vote initiative estimates that approximately 67,000 Israelis living abroad are preparing to travel to Israel to vote in the upcoming elections. This figure, based on the initiative's analysis of registered individuals, could represent a voting bloc equivalent to about 1.7 Knesset seats, assuming around 40,000 votes per seat.
The data emerges following a legal dispute initiated by the Likud party, which filed a petition arguing that facilitating flights and related services for voters could constitute prohibited benefits. The Central Elections Committee for the 26th Knesset was involved in this legal challenge.
A survey conducted by Fly&Vote between October 12 and 21, with participation from about 23,000 Israelis abroad, indicated that 79.6% of respondents intend to come to Israel to vote. This contrasts sharply with the 14% who reported voting in person in the 2022 elections.
However, Fly&Vote emphasizes that the survey was voluntary and not a representative sample of all Israelis overseas. The estimate of 67,000 potential voters is derived from analyzing registration data, not from actual passenger counts.
The final distribution of seats will depend on the overall election results, the electoral threshold, and how votes are divided among the parties.
