Israelis vote Tuesday for party lists in a 120-seat parliament, a process that leaves the next government dependent on coalition negotiations rather than a direct choice of prime minister.
Voters select party lists, and a list must receive at least 3.25% of valid votes to qualify for seats. A government needs support from 61 lawmakers for a majority. That arithmetic puts coalition negotiations at the center of forming the next government.
Most polling stations are scheduled to open at 1 a.m. EDT and close at 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday (7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Israel), according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee. Locations in communities with up to 350 eligible voters, as well as hospitals, prisons and care homes, are scheduled to operate from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Israel). The National reported that voters still in line when a station closes may cast ballots.
The National expects broadcasters to air exit-poll estimates after voting ends. The outlet said the projections may not match the official tally and expects an initial results picture Wednesday, after counting continues overnight.
The committee’s timetable gives officials until Nov. 4 to publish the results and sets Nov. 18 as the deadline for appeals. Once the official results are published, the president consults parliamentary groups before assigning a Knesset member to lead government formation; the assignment is due within seven days. The member gets an initial 28 days, with any extensions limited to 14 additional days.
The National pointed to five national elections held from 2019 through 2022 as a period when Israeli parties struggled to sustain governments. The Associated Press framed this vote as a test of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record: critics link him to the Oct. 7, 2023, security failure, while supporters credit him with a later improvement in Israel’s security position. The AP also said smaller parties could gain bargaining power if coalition negotiations drag on, though that remains a possibility rather than an established outcome.
