Israeli Military Begins Voting for 26th Knesset Elections

Voting for Israel's 26th Knesset began Wednesday morning at military bases and outposts across the country, including in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. Approximately 850 polling stations are expected to operate throughout the voting period, with about a quarter of them mobile to accommodate soldiers on operational duty and reservists. The military vote commenced six days before the general public can cast their ballots. Polling stations are set up from the Hermon outpost in the north to Eilat in the south, and also among IDF forces operating in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, ensuring all service members can participate even during active operations.

Mobile polling stations will reach soldiers in remote locations, and their operation will be adapted to the operational needs and missions of forces in the field. The military balloting will continue until the polls close on election day, adjusted for operational conditions in each sector. Vered Ben Yehuda, the IDF's Elections Officer, emphasized the military's commitment to enabling soldiers to exercise their democratic right to vote, even during combat.

"Our mission is to allow all IDF service members to exercise their democratic right to a secret ballot even during operational activity and combat beyond the border," Ben Yehuda stated. "The IDF is a people's army that will do everything necessary to ensure the elections proceed in an orderly manner." The IDF stressed that the extensive deployment of polling stations aims to allow soldiers on distant operational missions to participate in the democratic process without compromising ongoing security operations.