Vote Counting Begins in Israel's 26th Knesset Elections
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
The Central Elections Committee has begun publishing initial results for Israel's 26th Knesset elections, with data from just 15 polling stations processed so far. The election saw a record high voter turnout of 77.7% by 10 PM, potentially affecting parties' ability to cross the electoral threshold. Pollster Shlomo Filber predicts Avigdor Lieberman's party may not pass the threshold, benefiting the right-wing bloc. Full results are expected to be updated throughout the night.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Vote counting has begun for Israel's 26th Knesset elections, with initial results published.
- Only 15 polling stations' results are in, representing 2,679 voters so far.
- Voter turnout reached a record high of 77.7% by 10 PM.
- Pollster Shlomo Filber estimates Yisrael Beiteinu may not pass the electoral threshold.
- Initial results are partial and expected to change significantly overnight.
The Central Elections Committee has announced the commencement of vote counting for the 26th Knesset elections, with initial results now being published. As of the first official update, data from only 15 polling stations, representing 2,679 voters, has been processed. These early figures are partial and may change significantly as more votes are tallied and verified throughout the night. The committee emphasized that results will be continuously updated on its official website and a dedicated results map.
The start of the results publication follows a day marked by exceptionally high voter turnout. By 10 PM, national turnout stood at 77.7%, with over 5.6 million voters participating. This represents a substantial increase of approximately 7.1 percentage points compared to the same time in the previous election and is the highest turnout recorded at that hour since 1999.
This high turnout could impact the race to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold. A larger total number of valid votes means a higher absolute number of votes is required for a party to enter the Knesset. Pollster Shlomo Filber has suggested that, based on the final turnout figures, Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party may not pass the threshold, potentially allowing the right-wing bloc to secure 61 seats or more.
Initial television polls had projected different outcomes, with one poll by Channel 14 giving the right-wing bloc 60 seats, the left-wing bloc 43, and Arab parties 17. In that poll, the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, received 30 mandates, Gadi Eisenkot's Yesh Atid received 19, and Naftali Bennett's Tikva Hadasha received 11. The possibility of a party failing to cross the threshold could alter the final seat distribution, as its votes would not be counted towards the mandate allocation.
Vote counting involves manual tallying at polling stations, with protocols then transferred to regional committees before data is entered into the Central Elections Committee's systems for verification. Ballots from external envelopes are processed separately, with checks in place to prevent double voting and ensure procedural integrity. The committee reiterated that current results are preliminary and subject to change as the counting of external ballots and final checks are completed.
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