Israel elections 2026: How the country is gearing up for a crucial vote

JERUSALEM, Oct 26 - Israel is gearing up for a crucial parliamentary election on October 27, with preparations underway across the country to facilitate voting, monitor the process and count ballots. From polling stations and ballot boxes to election-integrity inspectors, the preparations involve a nationwide administrative operation ahead of a vote that could determine the country’s political direction.

At the centre of the preparations is Israel’s Central Elections Committee, the independent statutory institution responsible for administering elections to the Knesset, the country’s 120-member parliament.

During a visit to the committee in Jerusalem, WION reviewed the scale of the arrangements being put in place for election day, including the deployment of personnel, the distribution of voting materials and safeguards designed to oversee the electoral process.

According to figures released by the committee, approximately 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote. The country will have 12,018 polling stations and 18,000 ballot boxes, while around 100,000 personnel are expected to be on duty on election day.

The committee’s election budget stands at 690 million Israeli shekels, highlighting the scale of the logistical exercise.

450 million ballot slips and thousands of monitoring cameras

The preparations extend far beyond setting up polling booths.

The Central Elections Committee says it has printed approximately 450 million ballot slips, with around 11.5 million slips allocated to each party list. The process involves approximately 250 tonnes of paper.

Around 15,000 cameras are also being deployed for election-integrity inspectors to document voting and report potential irregularities.

The committee’s presentation lists 6,209 accessible polling stations, including 3,621 designated as specially accessible stations. These arrangements are intended to help voters with disabilities exercise their right to vote.

Training is another major component of the operation. Approximately 50,000 trainees are expected to participate in around 2,140 training sessions, according to the figures presented by the committee.

The aim is to ensure that polling stations are staffed, voting procedures are followed and ballots are handled under established electoral rules.

Free transport and access to polling stations

Getting voters to their designated polling stations is another part of the preparations.

The committee’s presentation lists free travel on 660 intercity public transport routes on election day, including Israel Railways services. The arrangements are intended to facilitate access for eligible voters who need to travel to cast their ballots.

Israel generally requires citizens to vote in person at designated polling stations. Absentee voting is limited to specific categories, meaning most Israelis living overseas cannot simply cast their ballots from abroad.

In another significant aspect of this election, thousands of Israelis living overseas are travelling back to the country to cast their ballots.

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, approximately 810,000 eligible Israeli voters live abroad.

The political impact of their participation will depend on how they vote and how those ballots affect the distribution of seats among parties.

Election security and the challenge of misinformation

The preparations come amid heightened political sensitivities and concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

Israel’s police chief has pledged a full deployment to protect election integrity, while the Central Elections Committee has been dealing with complaints about campaign conduct and the use of digital content.

Reports ahead of the vote indicate that the committee has received more than 276 petitions related to the election campaign, substantially more than in the 2022 election. The complaints have highlighted the challenges of regulating political messaging in an environment increasingly shaped by social media and artificial intelligence-generated material.

The committee’s election-integrity inspectors are tasked with observing proceedings, documenting incidents and reporting suspected irregularities. Their role is to help ensure that voting and counting are conducted in accordance with the law.

The use of monitoring cameras forms part of this wider oversight effort.

What is at stake in Israel’s election?

The election is the first national parliamentary vote since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and the wars that followed. The campaign has been shaped by questions about national security, political accountability and the future direction of the country.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a challenge from an opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, alongside other political leaders seeking to replace the current government.

One of the central issues is accountability for the security failures surrounding October 7. Critics of Netanyahu have called for an independent inquiry into how the attack occurred, while his supporters point to his security experience and leadership during the subsequent regional conflicts.

Another major issue is military-service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. The debate has become increasingly contentious amid repeated reserve mobilisations and demands for a broader sharing of military obligations.

Judicial reform, which triggered mass protests in 2023, remains part of the political debate, alongside economic pressures and the cost of prolonged conflict.

Although security dominates the campaign, the vote will also test the ability of Israel’s political parties to bridge deep divisions and assemble a governing majority.

How Israel’s election system works

Israel uses a nationwide proportional representation system. Voters select a political party list rather than directly electing the prime minister or choosing an individual representative for a local constituency.

The Knesset has 120 seats, and a party list must secure at least 3.25 per cent of the valid vote to qualify for representation.

Seats are distributed proportionally among qualifying lists. A party that wins the most seats does not automatically form the government; it must be able to secure the support required for a parliamentary majority.

At least 61 seats are needed to command a majority in the Knesset. As a result, coalition negotiations are central to the process of government formation.

The election is therefore not simply a contest between individual leaders. It is also a test of which political blocs and smaller parties can assemble enough support to govern.

When will the results be known?

Polling stations are scheduled to open at 7 am and close at 10 pm local time on October 27, subject to different arrangements at certain polling facilities.

Exit polls are expected shortly after the main polling stations close. These projections may offer an early indication of the distribution of seats, but they are not official results.

The counting process will begin on election night, with preliminary figures expected to emerge as ballots are counted. The picture may remain uncertain until additional ballots have been processed, particularly where party lists are close to the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold.

The final distribution of seats will determine the starting point for negotiations among political parties. Even after the results become clearer, forming a government could take weeks as parties negotiate the terms of a coalition.

Beyond election day

For Israel, the significance of this election extends beyond the immediate question of who wins the largest share of seats.

The vote comes at a time of continuing debate over security, the consequences of October 7, military obligations, judicial reform and the country’s relationship with the wider world.

For the Central Elections Committee, the immediate challenge is to conduct the vote in an orderly, accessible and properly supervised manner. For the political parties, the task will be to translate votes into seats and seats into a coalition capable of governing.

The results will determine the composition of the next Knesset. The political negotiations that follow will determine who can command its support — and lead Israel into its next phase.