Israel Gears Up for Knesset Elections With Millions Eligible to Vote

Israel is preparing for the 26th Knesset elections, with over 7.3 million eligible voters set to cast their ballots. This represents an increase of more than 543,000 voters compared to the previous election. A total of 12,018 polling stations will be established across the country, supplemented by hundreds of special stations for the IDF, hospitals, and prisons. Approximately 100,000 workers will be employed on election day. To ensure accessibility, 6,209 polling stations will be accessible to people with disabilities, including 3,621 specially designated accessible stations. Twenty regional election committees will oversee the voting process in their respective areas.

To facilitate voter turnout, 660 intercity public transportation lines and all Israel Railways lines will operate free of charge on election day. Most polling stations will open at 7:00 AM and close at 10:00 PM, with some exceptions for smaller communities and special polling sites. In the November 2022 elections, 70.63% of eligible voters participated, with 4,794,593 people casting ballots.

Official guidelines have been issued to prevent ballot disqualification, a concern after nearly 30,000 votes were invalidated in the last election. Voters are instructed to use only the official envelope provided, a standard ballot identical to those behind the voting booth, and to ensure the ballot is complete and unmarked. Submitting up to three identical ballots for the same list is permissible, but four or more, or ballots from different lists, will be disqualified. While sealing the envelope is not mandatory, it is recommended.

This election is expected to see a significant increase in the use of "double envelopes," a method allowing voting outside one's designated polling station, particularly for soldiers and reservists. The Central Election Committee anticipates between 600,000 and 650,000 voters will use this method, compared to approximately 463,000 in the previous election. The IDF will operate around 850 polling stations, an increase from the 710 in the last election, with some military voting having already commenced.

The counting of these double envelopes, which occurs separately from regular ballots, could potentially alter election results and impact the distribution of Knesset seats, especially for parties close to the electoral threshold. The electoral threshold requires 3.25% of valid votes, which is estimated to be around 165,800 to 189,500 votes in this election, depending on voter turnout. This means even minor shifts in participation could determine which parties cross the threshold and influence the composition of the next Knesset.