Air Force Helicopters Transport Military Ballots Amid Southern Flooding
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Dozens of military ballot boxes from southern Israel were airlifted by helicopter to Jerusalem due to flash floods and road closures on election night. The Israeli military reported a 79.9% voter turnout among service members for the 26th Knesset elections, an increase from the previous election. Over 890 polling stations, including mobile units, were established for soldiers nationwide.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Military ballot boxes were airlifted by helicopter due to southern Israel flooding.
- 79.9% of IDF service members voted in the 26th Knesset elections.
- Voter turnout among soldiers increased by 6.2 percentage points from the last election.
- Over 890 military polling stations operated nationwide, including mobile units.
- Voting for IDF personnel began the week before election day.
Dozens of military ballot boxes from IDF bases in Eilat and the Arava were airlifted by an Israeli Air Force helicopter on the night of the 26th Knesset elections to Jerusalem. The operation was necessitated by flash floods and road blockages in the south that hindered their overland transport. The aerial transfer was conducted after the voting day, which took place earlier this week on Tuesday, to ensure the ballots reached the Knesset on time for counting by the Central Elections Committee. The ballots were moved from the bases via helicopter due to the blocked routes in the area, as part of preparations to complete the voting process and transfer the votes for tabulation.
In parallel, the IDF released its voter turnout data, reporting that 79.9% of service members exercised their right to vote in the 26th Knesset elections. This figure represents a 6.2 percentage point increase compared to the 25th Knesset elections. Voting within the IDF commenced last week and continued until the end of election day. Throughout this period, over 890 military polling stations operated across bases and units nationwide, including in combat zones, with approximately a quarter of them being mobile polling stations. This extensive deployment aimed to enable all service members to participate in the elections, even in locations requiring mobile voting solutions.