Voter Turnout Surges Dramatically in Key Israeli Election Sectors
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Voter turnout in Israel's 2026 elections surged dramatically, especially in Arab communities where major cities saw over 30% increases. Likud-aligned cities and "change bloc" areas also reported higher participation. Some Haredi cities experienced unexpected drops in turnout, but this did not significantly alter the electoral map. The increased engagement across sectors contributed to the Likud becoming the largest party.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Arab society saw turnout jumps exceeding 30% in major cities, reaching record levels.
- Likud-aligned cities and "change bloc" areas also reported significant increases in voter participation.
- Some large Haredi cities experienced surprising decreases in voter turnout.
- Sakhnin reported an 86.9% turnout, a 27% increase from the previous election.
- Rahat saw a 35.3% turnout increase to 82%, a focus area for Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Voter turnout saw dramatic increases in several key sectors across Israel in the recent 2026 elections, significantly altering the political landscape compared to the 2022 elections. The Arab society experienced a particularly sharp rise, with major cities reporting turnout jumps exceeding 30%, contributing to a record number of mandates. For instance, in Sakhnin, turnout increased by 27% to 86.9%, while in Rahat, it surged by 35.3% to 82%, a focus area for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Kfar Kara saw a 32.6% increase to 82.5%, and Tamra and Kfar Manda reported a 31% rise.
Conversely, some large Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) cities witnessed a surprising decrease in voter participation, though this did not drastically reshape the electoral map. In contrast, cities identified with the "change bloc" saw an increase in turnout. For example, Tel Aviv-Yafo's turnout rose from 59.6% in 2022 to 65.4% in 2026. Hod HaSharon and Ramat HaSharon experienced increases of over 6%, while Kfar Saba and Givatayim surpassed the 70% threshold, reaching 74.4% and 74.3% respectively.
Areas traditionally aligned with the Likud party also reported higher voter engagement. In Afula, turnout increased from 63.3% to 71.1%. Eilat saw the largest jump, an 18.6% increase bringing turnout to 51%. Sderot's turnout rose from 65.6% to 72%, and Ofakim saw a rise from 68.6% in 2022 to 74.6% in the current elections. These increases across various sectors contributed to the Likud becoming the largest party in the current election system.
