Knesset Election Results Delayed by Unprecedented Ballot Count

The final results of the Israeli Knesset elections, scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, will not be immediately clear due to an unprecedented number of "double envelopes" requiring tabulation. The Central Elections Committee is preparing to count approximately 650,000 such ballots, a significant increase from previous elections. Officials estimate that the full vote count will be completed by Thursday afternoon, with the legal deadline for publishing official results set for Wednesday, November 4. Initial results will begin appearing on the committee's website overnight Tuesday and continue to be updated throughout Wednesday, but these are preliminary and may change as late-counted votes are incorporated. The "double envelopes" include ballots from Israeli soldiers, evacuated residents, police, medical patients, prisoners, and others who voted outside their usual polling stations. This count is expected to significantly impact the final outcome, potentially affecting parties close to the 3.25% electoral threshold, as some may fall below it after these votes are tallied. The ballots from Israeli missions abroad, which concluded voting last week, will also be included in this delayed count. The committee estimates that these votes could represent around 15 Knesset seats. Alongside the vote count, the committee is conducting audits of thousands of ballot boxes to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. The official announcement of results is expected by November 4, with the new Knesset members set to be sworn in on November 10. Following the official results, President Isaac Herzog will consult with party representatives to task a Knesset member with forming a new government, a process that allows up to 42 days. Until a new government is formed and sworn in, the current government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to serve as a caretaker administration. President Herzog has stated his commitment to preventing another election.

This process is expected to take longer than in past elections due to the substantial number of "double envelopes" needing to be processed. The increase in these ballots is attributed to the large number of reservists and residents evacuated from their homes during the recent conflict, alongside military personnel, police, the sick, prisoners, and voters in special accessible polling stations. These ballots are not counted at local polling stations but are transported to the Knesset for verification against regular voter rolls to prevent double voting. Any instances of double voting will result in the disqualification of those ballots and referral to the police.