Israel's Interior Ministry Sets Voter Registry Rules Impacting Overseas Residents

Ahead of Israel's 26th Knesset elections scheduled for October 27, 2026, the Interior Ministry has published updated eligibility rules for inclusion in the voter registry. A key issue affecting Israelis living abroad is the "residency disconnection" status, which may prevent them from voting if they are not registered as residents in the population registry. According to election law, to be included in the voter registry, a citizen must be an Israeli citizen on the registry extraction date, registered as a resident in the population registry, and at least 18 years old.

Israelis living overseas who have lost their residency status but still have a registered address in Israel can vote. However, those without a registered address will not appear in the voter registry and thus cannot vote. Citizens can appeal this status until August 4, 2026, and must ensure their Israeli address is registered by September 2, 2026. The Interior Ministry provides multiple channels for checking voter eligibility and submitting corrections, including a national phone hotline, WhatsApp service available 24/7 in multiple languages, and email contacts.

The deadline to submit requests for corrections to voter details is August 4, 2026. Citizens abroad can contact the Interior Ministry's Population and Immigration Authority via dedicated phone numbers and email for assistance. The ministry emphasizes the importance of verifying residency status to ensure voting rights in the upcoming elections.