Israel's Central Election Commission Extends Voting in Hebron Due to Power Outage

Israel's Central Election Commission (CEC) decided not to extend voting hours nationwide beyond the scheduled 10 PM closing time. The decision, made at the request of most coalition parties, cited a lack of sufficient grounds to alter the established closing time. The CEC noted that high voter turnout across the country indicated active citizen participation, rendering additional time unnecessary. However, voters arriving before the deadline will still be able to cast their ballots.

An exception was made for Hebron, where voting hours were extended until 10 PM due to a power outage. This decision comes as parties within the ruling coalition intensified efforts to mobilize voters in the final hours before polls closed. These efforts included door-to-door canvassing and emergency meetings aimed at boosting support for the right-wing bloc.

Concerns were raised about potentially high turnout in Arab communities and areas traditionally supporting left-wing parties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich discussed joint actions to mobilize right-wing supporters. An urgent meeting with dozens of local authority leaders was also anticipated.

Earlier, Smotrich cut short a planned tour of polling stations to return to party headquarters for emergency consultations. Representatives of the Religious Zionism party expressed concern that high turnout could hinder smaller right-wing parties from entering the Knesset, urging voters to support parties with a better chance of crossing the electoral threshold.