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Israelis Abroad Begin Voting in General Elections
Voting for Israel's 26th Knesset elections began on Wednesday night at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide, starting in Wellington, New Zealand, and Suva, Fiji. This early voting process, which is restricted to state employees, diplomats, and their eligible family members serving abroad, will span approximately 30 hours.
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What happened
- 01Voting for Israel's 26th Knesset elections commenced on Wednesday night at diplomatic missions abroad, starting in Wellington, New Zealand.
- 02Over 4,800 Israeli diplomats, state envoys, and their families are eligible to vote at 101 polling stations in 99 missions worldwide.
- 03The voting process will conclude on Friday, October 16, at 6:00 AM Israel time at the consulates in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- 04The Consulate General in New York is the largest voting location, with nearly 1,000 envoys expected to cast ballots.
- 05President Isaac Herzog observed the voting process at the Israeli Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, during a state visit.
- 06All ballots will be transported to Israel via diplomatic mail to be counted at the Knesset on the general election day, October 27, 2026.
Over 4,800 eligible voters are participating across 101 polling stations in 99 diplomatic missions globally. The largest concentration of voters is in New York, where nearly 1,000 envoys are expected to cast ballots, while Kathmandu, Nepal, is expected to have the fewest. The voting period will conclude on Friday morning at 6:00 AM Israel time at the consulates in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
President Isaac Herzog, currently on a state visit to Azerbaijan, observed the voting process at the Israeli Embassy in Baku alongside Ambassador Ronen Kraus. Herzog encouraged all citizens to vote, calling the elections a celebration of democracy. Once voting concludes, the ballots will be secured and flown to Israel via diplomatic mail to be counted at the Knesset under the double-envelope system on the general election day, scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated
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Israelis Abroad Begin Voting in General Elections
