Pollster Admits Election Results May Differ From Forecasts
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
The chief pollster for i24news, Tzuriel Sharon, admitted that election results may differ from forecasts due to high and unusual voter turnout. Commentator Amit Segal stated that these patterns currently favor the center-left bloc, driven by increased participation from the Arab public and center-left strongholds. Segal noted a decrease in Haredi turnout, further shifting the balance, but cautioned that voting is ongoing.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Pollster Tzuriel Sharon admits election results may differ from forecasts due to high turnout.
- Commentator Amit Segal says unusual voting patterns currently favor the center-left bloc.
- Turnout increase is attributed to Arab public, center-left strongholds, and Likud.
- Haredi public shows a slight but significant decrease in turnout, shifting balance.
- Segal notes the day has been dramatic with eight hours of voting remaining.
Tzuriel Sharon, chief pollster for i24news representing Direct Polls, acknowledged in an interview Tuesday that election results are expected to diverge from poll predictions. He cited unusually high voter turnout and distinct voting patterns as factors that could alter the outcome. "We will see if the voter turnout reaches levels we have never seen before, but they will certainly be higher than usual, and this definitely changes the map of the results," Sharon stated.
Commentator Amit Segal suggested that these unusual voting patterns currently favor the center-left bloc. "Now we can already say that something like this has never happened before," Segal remarked, referencing a turnout figure of 44.9 percent, a level not seen since the 1969 elections. He attributed the significant increase in turnout to several factors: primarily the Arab public, a substantial rise in center-left strongholds, and a smaller increase within the Likud party.
Segal also noted a slight but significant decrease in turnout among the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) public, which he believes is currently shifting the balance towards the center-left. He cautioned, however, that there are still eight hours of voting remaining, emphasizing that it has been a highly dramatic election day.
