Israel Sees Record Voter Turnout in Midday Elections Update

By ירון דרוקמן

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

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Hebrew · 7 newsrooms covering

Israel experienced record voter turnout by 2:00 PM on election day, with 44.9% of eligible citizens having cast ballots, surpassing a 53-year-old record. Approximately 3.2 million Israelis voted across 565 localities. Major cities like Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa reported strong participation, while some Bedouin communities in the Negev saw over 60% turnout. Conversely, two localities in the Benjamin and Samaria regions reported extremely low turnout.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Israel set a 53-year record with 44.9% voter turnout by 2 PM.
3.2 million Israelis had voted by 2 PM across 565 localities.
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa reported turnout rates between 27.1% and 28.8% by midday.
Bedouin communities in the Negev, like Atawana, saw over 64% voter participation.
Almon and Brochin recorded the lowest turnout at 0.9% and 0.8% respectively.

Israel Sees Record Voter Turnout in Midday Elections Update — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

As of 2:00 PM on Tuesday, Israel had already surpassed a 53-year-old record for voter turnout in the current elections, with approximately 3.2 million Israelis, or 44.9% of eligible voters, casting their ballots. Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM across 565 localities, with around 7 million citizens eligible to vote.

Major cities reported significant participation by midday. Jerusalem saw 27.1% turnout (90,986 voters), Tel Aviv recorded 28.8% (98,773 voters), and Haifa had 27.3% (57,187 voters). Other cities with notable turnout included Rishon LeZion at 29% (51,786 voters), Be'er Sheva at 27.4% (36,031 voters), Ashdod at 30.4% (44,428 voters), and Holon at 27.9% (36,214 voters).

Further data indicated high participation in Petah Tikva with 50,008 voters. Netanya reported 23.8% (41,584 voters), and Ramat Gan saw 34,929 voters by noon. Other localities showed varied percentages, including Bnei Brak at 28.4%, Kiryat Shmona at 23.9%, Tiberias at 27.65%, Nazareth at 24.9%, Kiryat Ata at 31.4%, and Nahariya at 30.3%.

Turnout was also high in some Bedouin communities in the Negev, with Atawana tribe registering 64.1%, Kasr al-Sir at 47.9%, and Kabiya at 47.8%. In contrast, low turnout was reported in Almon in the Benjamin Mountains at 0.9% and Brochin in Samaria at 0.8%, with only five voters in each locality. Avigail in the Hebron Hills Regional Council reported 49.5% turnout.