Democrats Party Opens Primaries with 112,000 Members Voting Digitally for Knesset List

The Democratic Party, led by Yair Golan, has launched its primaries for the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. Voting began on Monday for 112,376 registered party members, who are selecting candidates from a pool of 51 contenders. The election is conducted through a secure digital system, allowing each member to vote for between six and eight candidates.

According to the party's constitution, the final list must maintain gender parity using the zipper system and ensure representation for various sectors including rural areas, youth, and minorities. The party emphasized that the electronic voting method is designed to prevent vote manipulation, despite an unusual allowance for new members to vote immediately without a cooling-off period.

The final candidate list will be announced at 7:00 PM during the party's campaign launch event in Tel Aviv. Yair Golan, a retired general and party chairman, is expected to present the selected team in front of candidates, activists, and party members, marking the official start of the party's election campaign.