Election Officials Detail Plan for Counting Crucial 'Double Envelope' Ballots

Preliminary results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc leading with 53 seats, but remaining short of the 61 seats needed for a majority, while Gush Eizenkot holds 48 seats. The uncounted ballots are cast by soldiers, reservists, diplomats, prisoners, medical personnel, and evacuees. The IDF reported a 79.9% voter turnout among its personnel, an increase from the 2022 elections.

Historically, double envelope votes tend to favor Zionist parties over Arab and ultra-Orthodox ones. In the 2022 elections, these votes shifted a mandate from the Haredi United Torah Judaism party to Yisrael Beiteinu. Currently, United Torah Judaism leads Shas by about 18,600 votes, and Shas fears losing a mandate in the final count. According to Globes, Arab parties might also lose seats.

While some early estimates suggested the number of double envelopes could reach 600,000 due to the war, the Central Elections Committee's updated estimate remains under 500,000. Experts, including Assaf Shapira of the Israel Democracy Institute, suggest these votes historically mirror general results and are unlikely to cause a dramatic shift in the overall balance of power. Official final results are expected by November 4, 2026.