Israel Recorded Its Highest Voter Turnout In More Than 50 Years

27.10.2026, 15:10
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Due to long lines, polling places may remain open longer.

By noon on election day in Israel, 31.5% of voters had cast their ballots—the highest turnout for that time of day since 1973. Due to long lines, polling places may remain open longer.

This was reported by The Times of Israel.

According to the Central Election Commission, the current turnout has exceeded that of previous elections. In 2022, 28.4% of voters had cast their ballots by noon. This time, 31.5% had cast their ballots by the same time.

Such a level of voter turnout at this time of day has not been recorded since 1973, when Israel held its first elections following the Yom Kippur War.

What’s Happening at the Polling Stations

Acting Director General of the Central Election Commission Dean Livne reported that lines had formed at many polling stations. According to him, this is to be expected due to the high voter turnout.

“Lines have formed at many polling stations. When voter turnout is high, there will always be lines,” Livne noted.

Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. and are scheduled to close at 10:00 p.m. At the same time, the Central Election Commission explained that this time does not mean voting will automatically end for those who have arrived at the polling station but are still waiting in line.

According to Livne, if there are still people at 10:00 p.m. who have not yet had a chance to vote, the polling stations will remain open until they have cast their ballots. This applies to voters who arrived before the designated closing time.

“We promise that everyone will be able to vote. If there is a line at 10:00 p.m., the polling stations will remain open until everyone who arrived by 10:00 p.m. has cast their ballot. There is no cause for concern,” emphasized a Central Election Commission spokesperson.

On the eve of the elections in Israel, the united opposition led by Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and other political forces spoke out against incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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