Nearly 78% Voter Turnout in Israeli Elections; Threshold for Knesset Entry Rises
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Nearly 78% of eligible voters participated in the 26th Knesset elections, casting over 5.6 million ballots. Calculations indicate the electoral threshold to enter the Knesset has risen to approximately 184,000 votes, a 19% increase from the previous election. The cost per Knesset seat is also expected to climb to around 45,000 votes. Official results will be released within eight days.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Nearly 78% of eligible voters cast ballots in the 26th Knesset elections.
- The electoral threshold to enter the Knesset is projected to be around 184,000 votes.
- This represents a 19% increase in the votes needed compared to the 2022 elections.
- The cost per Knesset seat is estimated to rise to approximately 45,000 votes.
- Official election results will be published within eight days.
Voter turnout for the 26th Knesset elections reached nearly 78%, with 5,695,682 eligible voters casting ballots. According to calculations by C14, the electoral threshold is expected to be around 184,000 votes, approximately 29,000 more than in the 2022 elections. This increase represents a nearly 19% rise in the votes needed to enter the Knesset.
The electoral threshold is calculated based on 3.25% of valid votes, not the total number of voters, meaning the precise figure will be finalized after all votes are counted. As of Tuesday afternoon, with 86% of votes tallied, the threshold was estimated at around 157,800 votes. If the current rate of invalid ballots, less than half a percent, is maintained, the final number of valid votes is projected to be about 5,670,000, setting the threshold at approximately 184,300 votes.
In the previous election for the 25th Knesset, the threshold was 154,854 votes out of 4,764,742 valid votes. This means parties will need significantly more votes to secure Knesset representation this time. In 2022, Meretz narrowly missed the threshold with 150,793 votes, and Balad received 138,617 votes.
The cost per Knesset seat is also expected to increase. A seat is calculated by dividing the total valid votes of parties that pass the threshold by 120. Based on preliminary results, approximately 5% of votes cast for smaller lists and parties that did not pass the threshold were effectively wasted. This suggests that each seat could be worth around 45,000 votes, compared to 36,228 in the previous election.
The Central Elections Committee will publish the official results within eight days, after counting absentee ballots.
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