Israel Prepares for Knesset Elections: Voting Rules and Procedures Explained

Over 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote in the upcoming Knesset elections on Tuesday, October 27th. This marks the first election in nearly 40 years to be held on schedule rather than early. A total of 12,018 polling stations will open across the country, with most operating from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Special hours apply to polling stations in hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons, which will close at 8:00 PM.

For voters who have not received their polling station notification, information can be found on the Central Election Committee's website or by calling their hotline. Evacuated residents will be able to vote at special polling stations for evacuees or, in some cases, at stations for individuals with mobility restrictions. Soldiers can vote on military bases or at their registered polling stations, while police officers can vote at any station with their service ID. Residents of larger nursing homes (over 50 people) can vote on-site, and those with mobility issues in smaller facilities will have access to special stations.

Bringing the polling station notification is not mandatory, as identity will be verified using official documents such as an ID card, driver's license, or passport. Expired documents will not be accepted. Over half of the 12,018 polling stations are officially designated as accessible, with 3,620 having special accessibility features. Voters with mobility issues may be asked to sign a declaration at these stations.

To ensure a vote is counted, ballots must adhere to the Central Election Committee's standards. Homemade or altered ballots are invalid. While parties can print ballots, they must meet technical requirements. Voters should place only one ballot in the envelope; multiple ballots from the same party will be counted, with extras discarded. Invalid ballots include those not meeting size, color, or ink standards.

Vote counting will commence after polls close, with local committees tallying votes for each of the 38 party lists and verifying voter numbers against registration lists. Results will be submitted to regional committees and then to the Central Election Committee. Final results for the 26th Knesset are expected by 12:00 PM on Thursday, October 29th, with the legal deadline for official publication being November 4th. Preliminary results will begin appearing on the Central Election Committee's website on the night of October 28th.

Election observers and party representatives will monitor polling stations for any irregularities. The Central Election Committee will conduct checks to ensure no violations occurred, which may include a recount of ballots in some cases, a process that takes 1.5 to 2 days. Special attention will be given to ballots in double envelopes, which include votes from soldiers, police, hospital patients, nursing home residents, prisoners, and those who voted at special needs stations. Votes from Israelis abroad, cast on October 15th, will also be counted separately after being delivered to Israel. The process of verifying double envelopes aims to prevent double voting, with any detected instances reported to the police and both ballots invalidated.

The Central Election Committee anticipates a significant increase, approximately 44%, in the number of double-envelope ballots compared to the previous election, estimating around 650,000 this year, up from over 460,000 in 2022. This rise is attributed to an increased number of reservists and citizens evacuated due to ongoing military operations. These ballots are estimated to represent up to 15 parliamentary mandates, potentially influencing the outcome for parties near the electoral threshold. While these votes are often cast for Zionist parties, their impact is generally limited to about three mandates.