Overseas Voting Efforts Fall Short of Claims, Airport Data Suggests
Translated & summarized from TheMarker by baba
The "Fly&Vote" initiative claims to have helped 67,000 Israelis abroad return to vote in the upcoming Knesset elections. However, airport data and the overall number of eligible voters overseas suggest a less significant impact. While many Israelis abroad are posting about their return to vote, it's difficult to distinguish them from those simply returning from trips or who arrived earlier for extended stays. Approximately 55,000 passengers are expected to fly out of Israel in the next three days.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- "Fly&Vote" claims to have enabled 67,000 Israelis abroad to vote.
- Airport data suggests the number of overseas voters may not be substantial.
- Social media shows many Israelis abroad returning to vote.
- Distinguishing voters from other travelers is difficult.
- Around 55,000 passengers will depart Israel in the next three days.
The "Fly&Vote" initiative claims to have facilitated the travel of 67,000 Israelis living abroad to vote in the upcoming Knesset elections. However, when compared to the total number of eligible voters residing overseas, this figure does not appear particularly significant. In the three days leading up to the election, approximately 55,000 passengers are expected to depart from Israel, the majority likely being Israelis.
Social media has been flooded with posts from Israelis living abroad announcing their return to vote in the 26th Knesset elections on Tuesday, October 27. These posts often include phrases like "I came to vote," "We're flocking with the next generation to make a change," and "We have arrived." Quantifying the exact number of individuals who have returned from abroad specifically to vote is challenging. This difficulty arises because it's unclear how many of the arrivals are Israelis returning from overseas to vote versus those who live in Israel and are simply returning from a vacation or business trip. Furthermore, it's impossible to determine if all Israelis arriving or scheduled to arrive in the coming days are doing so for the purpose of voting. Many Israelis also returned to the country for an extended period specifically for the elections days ago.
