Israel's parliamentary elections on October 27, 2026, saw the highest voter turnout in 53 years. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the Central Election Commission, voter activity reached 31.5% by noon and 44.9% by 14:00 local time, significantly exceeding previous years' figures and marking the highest result since the 1973 elections.
Since Israel lacks a system of remote or electronic voting for ordinary citizens abroad, voters have to fly into the country in person.
According to estimates by Israeli media and Jerusalem Post data, about 70,000 Israelis returned home specifically to participate in the voting.
Polling stations will close at 22:00 local time. Preliminary election results are to be announced on October 28.
This number could have a critical impact on the final balance of power. In the previous 2022 elections, obtaining one Knesset seat required about 36,000 votes. Given population growth and the current record turnout, the "cost" of one parliamentary seat this time is estimated at approximately 38,000–39,000 votes. Thus, citizens who arrived from abroad could directly redistribute at least 1–2 parliamentary seats, which, with a minimal gap between blocs, could completely change the outcome of the vote.
This is the first nationwide vote after the large-scale attack by the Hamas terrorist group on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent military operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The main political confrontation is unfolding between incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud party) and the united opposition, whose key figure in these elections has become former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the new party "Yashar".
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed using cryptocurrencies to bypass possible international sanctions.
His idea drew sharp criticism from the Central Bank, economists, and the opposition. Experts warned that such a step risks economic isolation for the country.