Over 112,000 Democrats to Vote Digitally in Party Primaries to Decide Knesset List

The Democratic Party in Israel is holding its primary elections on July 20, 2026, where over 112,000 registered members will vote digitally between 9:00 and 19:00 to select their candidates for the 26th Knesset. Voters will choose between six and eight candidates from a pool of 51 contenders, which includes current and former Knesset members, as well as diverse representatives such as Jews, Arabs, Druze, secular and religious individuals, and members of the LGBTQ community. The party members will also decide whether to officially change the party's name to "The Democrats."

The final candidate list will be revealed immediately after the vote, accompanied by the launch of the party's election campaign. The list will be arranged using a gender alternation system known as "zipper," ensuring men and women alternate positions. The party leader, Yair Golan, will head the list, with guaranteed slots for the Meretz party at positions 6, 8, and 14, and assured representation for rural sectors and minorities.

The Democratic Party currently holds four Knesset seats, following the last elections where the Labor Party won four seats and Meretz failed to pass the electoral threshold. Recent polls suggest the Democrats could increase their representation to between 8 and 11 seats. The party has seen a significant rise in membership, from about 30,000 before Golan's leadership to over 114,000 registered voters now, marking the highest membership since the 1990s. Among the members are more than 57,000 women, over 55,000 men, around 12,000 kibbutz members, approximately 5,700 Arabs, and 2,800 Druze.

The full list of candidates, pending final approval by the party's election committee, includes notable figures such as Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, and Efrat Rayten, alongside a broad spectrum of activists and community representatives from across Israel. This primary marks the first time the party is conducting voting exclusively through digital means, with no physical polling stations.