Israel election turnout highest in 50 years as voting continues

What the report says

Israel’s general election saw unusually strong participation on Tuesday, with the Central Elections Committee saying that almost 45 percent of registered voters had cast ballots by mid-afternoon. Al Jazeera reported that this was the highest turnout recorded by that point in 50 years and about 6 percentage points above the pace seen in the 2022 vote. Long queues were reported at some polling stations, with officials and observers pointing to heavy participation despite rainy, windy conditions in parts of the country.

The vote is being widely framed as a test of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks and the wars that followed. A pollster quoted by Al Jazeera said the turnout was especially strong and could benefit incumbent parties, noting that parties must clear Israel’s 3.25 percent threshold to enter the Knesset. Netanyahu later urged supporters to head to the polls, saying turnout appeared strong among his opponents and among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Palestinian citizens, who make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population, were reported to be voting in large numbers, according to one Palestinian candidate. At the same time, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed a complaint with the election commission, saying delays in at least 18 communities might be suppressing the vote among Israeli Palestinians. The group also raised concerns about a heavy security presence at one polling station in the Negev Desert. The outcome could shape coalition talks and whether Netanyahu remains in power.