Ultra-Orthodox Parties Fear Vote Drop Amid High National Turnout
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Shas and United Torah Judaism are worried about losing political power due to lower voter turnout in their communities compared to a record high national turnout. The parties have launched emergency efforts to increase participation in Haredi cities before polls close at 10 PM. This comes as national turnout reached 55.7% by 4 PM, the highest in decades.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shas and United Torah Judaism fear reduced political strength due to low turnout in Haredi areas.
- Emergency measures are underway to boost voter participation in key Haredi cities.
- National voter turnout reached 55.7% by 4 PM, the highest in decades.
- Haredi parties are concerned about their relative Knesset power diminishing with higher national turnout.
- Polls are set to close at 10 PM, with parties focused on maximizing final hours of voting.
Shas and United Torah Judaism parties are expressing concern over a potential decrease in their political strength due to lower-than-expected voter turnout in their strongholds, contrasted with a high national turnout. With just hours left before polls close for the 26th Knesset elections, both parties have initiated emergency measures to mobilize voters.
Data from the parties' headquarters indicates relatively low participation in key Haredi cities such as Bnei Brak, Elad, Beitar Illit, Modi'in Illit, and Jerusalem. This trend is particularly worrying for the Haredi parties given the exceptionally high national voter turnout. As of 4:00 PM, 55.7% of eligible voters had cast their ballots nationwide, a significant increase from 47.5% at the same time in the previous election, marking the highest turnout for this hour in decades.
Adding to their concerns, reports suggest strong participation in the Arab community, and turnout among IDF soldiers reached 48% by 1:00 PM. The high national turnout raises fears among the Haredi parties that their relative power in the next Knesset could be diminished. A larger overall vote means more votes are needed to secure each Knesset seat, so even maintaining their previous vote count might not guarantee the same number of seats.
In response, Shas and United Torah Judaism have launched emergency operations. These include phone banks contacting non-voters and street teams canvassing Haredi neighborhoods to encourage residents to vote. The goal is to boost participation in their strongholds and mitigate the impact of the surge in national turnout before the polls close at 10:00 PM.
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