OMM Newsroom
Voting began on Tuesday in Israel’s parliamentary elections, with more than 7.3 million people eligible to elect the 120-member Knesset, Anadolu Agency reported.
Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0500 GMT) and are due to close at 10 pm (2000 GMT), according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee.
A total of 12,018 polling stations and about 18,000 ballot boxes have been set up across the country, with around 100,000 election workers deployed.
Thirty-seven parties and electoral lists are contesting the election. At least 61 seats are required to form a governing coalition.
The main contenders include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, former Army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, and the Together alliance led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Other prominent parties include the Democrats, led by Yair Golan; Yisrael Beiteinu, headed by Avigdor Lieberman; and Jewish Power, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Palestinian-led parties include the Joint List, headed by Yousef Jabareen, and the United Arab List (Ra’am), led by Mansour Abbas.
The election is Israel’s first general vote since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, which Anadolu Agency described as genocidal.
Vote counting is due to begin after polling stations close at 10 pm local time (2000 GMT). Israeli television channels are expected to release exit polls at that time.
Initial results are expected overnight, while official results are scheduled to be published by Nov. 4, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee.
Separately, 4,218 Israelis voted early on Oct. 15–16 at 101 polling stations set up at 99 diplomatic missions abroad. That represented 86.7% of the 4,863 eligible overseas voters, according to the committee.
