developing· Politics· Updated 11:12

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

Israelis began voting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in the elections for the 26th Knesset, marking the first national election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack and the subsequent war. Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM across the country, with over 7.3 million citizens eligible to cast ballots. By 10:00 AM, voter turnout had reached 16.68%, with over 1.2 million citizens having already voted, representing the highest turnout recorded at that hour since 1981.

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What happened

01Israelis are voting in the 26th Knesset elections on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the first national election since the October 7, 2023 terror attack.
02Over 7.3 million citizens are eligible to vote across 12,018 polling stations nationwide, choosing from up to 38 competing political parties.
03Voter turnout reached 16.68% by 10:00 AM, with over 1.2 million citizens casting ballots, the highest morning turnout since 1981.
04The Central Elections Committee reported that over 95% of polling stations opened on schedule, with only minor, localized delays.
05President Yitzhak Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot were among the prominent figures who cast early ballots.
06Free train and intercity bus travel was provided on election day to help boost voter turnout across the country.
07Exit polls will be released after polls close at 10:00 PM, with final official results expected by November 4.
08President Herzog must task a Knesset member with forming a government by November 11, following consultations with the elected parties.

A total of 12,018 polling stations are operational nationwide, staffed by approximately 100,000 employees. The Central Elections Committee reported that over 95% of stations had successfully opened on schedule, with only minor, localized delays. To encourage participation, election day was declared an official holiday, and free train and intercity bus travel was made available to voters.

Prominent figures who cast their ballots early in the day included President Yitzhak Herzog and his wife Michal in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar! party, who voted in Ofakim. Other political leaders, including Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Aryeh Deri, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich, were also scheduled to vote, with some right-wing figures expected to cast ballots in Judea and Samaria.

Most polling stations are scheduled to close at 10:00 PM, at which point television channels will release exit poll projections. The counting process is expected to be lengthy, with over 600,000 double envelopes to tabulate. Final official results from the Central Elections Committee are expected by November 4, after which President Herzog will consult with parties and task a Knesset member with forming a government by November 11.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated 11:32