Democratic Party Closes Primaries With Over 97,000 Votes Cast, Final List Coming Soon

The Democratic Party primaries concluded on Monday evening at 7:00 PM, with an exceptionally high turnout of over 97,000 party members voting, representing 86.2% of all registered members. Polling stations opened at 9:00 AM for the party's 114,000 members, with 51 candidates competing for 10 to 12 realistic spots on the Knesset list. Voting was conducted digitally via mobile phones.

Party chairman Yair Golan welcomed the opening of the polls, emphasizing the importance of the list not only in determining who will sit in the Knesset but also in shaping the party's strength in the next government and its ability to restore security, democracy, and hope to Israel.

The primaries took place amid tensions between Labor Party candidates and Meretz members. In recent days, senior Democratic officials, some supported by Golan, sought to limit candidates perceived as too extreme or those who align the party more with Meretz than Labor. As a result, Golan secured two reserved spots on the list, one in each top ten segment. He indicated that if the final list appears too left-leaning or Meretz-aligned, he might attempt to moderate it by adding new external candidates. If satisfied with the list, he may forgo using these reserved spots.

The final candidate list will be announced soon.