developing· Politics· Updated 11:12

Israel Votes for 26th Knesset; Key Election Day Details Released

Israelis are voting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in the general election for the 26th Knesset, the first national election in four years and the first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack. Over 7.3 million eligible voters are casting ballots across 12,018 regular polling stations and 2,000 special stations, with 36 to 38 parties competing for 120 seats. Voting for IDF units stationed in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, as well as for diplomatic missions abroad, commenced last week.

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What happened

01Israelis are voting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in the first general election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack.
02Over 7.3 million eligible voters are choosing from 36 to 38 political parties competing for 120 Knesset seats.
03Voting began last week for IDF units stationed in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, and for diplomatic missions abroad.
04The Central Elections Committee reported that over 95% of the 12,018 polling stations opened successfully on Tuesday morning.
05President Yitzhak Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot have cast their ballots.
06Cyber police are operating 24/7 on election day to monitor and counter a wave of deepfakes.
07Final election results are expected by November 4, with over 600,000 double envelopes to be counted.
08The President must task a Knesset member with forming a government by November 11, allowing up to 42 days for coalition building.

By early Tuesday morning, the Central Elections Committee reported that over 95% of polling stations had opened. Prominent figures, including President Yitzhak Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, have already cast their ballots. Families of October 7 victims have urged citizens to vote in memory of those killed, while cyber police are operating 24/7 to counter a wave of deepfakes.

Most polling stations will close at 10:00 PM, followed by the release of exit polls. The final official results are expected by November 4, with the counting process slowed by an anticipated 600,000 double envelopes. President Herzog must task a Knesset member with forming a government by November 11, who will then have up to 42 days to assemble a coalition.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 10 newsrooms. Updated 10:51