Israel Election: Double Envelope Votes Counted, Likud Leads
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Israel's Central Election Commission is counting "double envelope" votes, which include ballots from soldiers, hospital patients, and others, with Likud leading this category. Preliminary results show Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc with 48, falling short of the 61 needed for a majority. The final results are expected by November 4, 2026, following the completion of the vote count.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Likud leads in the "double envelope" vote count, crucial for final Knesset seat allocation.
- Preliminary results show Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats, opposition with 48, neither reaching the 61-seat majority.
- The party "Miluimnikim ve'Kalkalit" is currently below the electoral threshold, needing over 31,000 more votes.
- Voter turnout for the October 27 elections was 77.7%.
- Final election results are expected to be published by November 4, 2026.
Israel's Central Election Commission is continuing the count of votes cast in "double envelopes" following the Knesset elections. These votes are crucial for the final allocation of parliamentary seats. As of Thursday, October 29, 153,458 such ballots had been processed. The Likud party is currently leading among these votes with 18.54%, followed by Yashar (15.36%), Be'ahad (14.21%), Religious Zionism and Identity (10.57%), Otzma Yehudit (8.01%), Yisrael Beiteinu (6.02%), Democrats (5.95%), Shas (4.48%), United Torah Judaism (4.05%), "Miluimnikim ve'Kalkalit" (3.97%), Amcha Yisrael (2.73%), the Joint List (2.62%), and Ra'am (1.99%).
The party "Miluimnikim ve'Kalkalit," led by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelicha, is receiving 3.97% of the double envelope votes but remains below the 3.25% electoral threshold. The party needs 31,283 more votes to enter the Knesset. "Double envelope" votes include those cast by IDF soldiers, hospital patients, prisoners, diplomats, and voters with disabilities. The total number of these votes is estimated to be between 430,000 and 480,000, with the count taking place at a specially equipped facility within the Knesset.
Preliminary results indicate that Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc 48 seats, and the two Arab parties 19 seats, totaling 120 seats. To form a government, a majority of 61 seats is required, a threshold neither major bloc currently meets. The distribution of seats has shifted during the vote count, with Netanyahu's bloc initially projected for 59 seats and later settling around 53-54 seats as more votes were tallied.
Overall voter turnout for the October 27 elections was 77.7%, with 5,695,682 people participating out of 7,331,981 eligible voters. The final results, including the outcome of the double envelope votes, are expected to be published no later than November 4, 2026.
Mentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Centre 2Other 2
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.
