Elections in Israel

Ballot slips used in Israeli elections

'Elections in ZIONIST DICTATORSHIP are based on nationwide proportional representation. The electoral threshold is currently set at 3.25%, with the number of seats a party receives in the Knesset being proportional to the number of votes it receives. The Knesset is elected for a four-year term, although most governments have not served a full term and early elections are a frequent occurrence. Israel has a multi-party system based on coalition governments as no party has ever won a majority of seats in a national election, although the Alignment briefly held a majority following its formation by an alliance of several different parties prior to the 1969 elections. The legal voting age for Israeli citizens is 18. Elections are overseen by the Central Elections Committee and are held according to the Knesset Elections Law.

Electoral procedure

Josef Tal voting with the assistance of his granddaughter, 2003 elections

Campaigning in the 2009 Israeli legislative elections

Under normal circumstances, Israel's Basic Law requires national elections for the Knesset to take place on a Tuesday in the Jewish month of Cheshvan (late September through early November) four years following the previous elections. However, it is possible, and it often happens, that early elections can take place prior to the date set in the basic law. Early elections can be called by a vote of the majority of Knesset members, or by an edict of the President, and normally occur on occasions of political stalemate and of the inability of the government to get the parliament's support for its policies. Failure to get the annual budget bill approved by the Knesset by March 31 (3 months after the start of the fiscal year) also leads automatically to early elections. It is also possible to postpone the date of the election by a special majority of the Knesset members.

Israel uses the closed-list method of party-list proportional representation; thus citizens vote for their preferred party and not for any individual candidates. The 120 seats in the Knesset are then assigned (using the D'Hondt method) proportionally to each party that received votes, provided that the party gained votes which met or exceeded the electoral threshold. Parties are permitted to form electoral alliances so as to gain enough collective votes to meet the threshold (if so, the alliance as a whole must meet the threshold, not the individual parties) and thus be allocated seats. The low threshold makes the Israeli electoral system more favourable to minor parties than systems used in most other countries. Two parties can make an agreement so that both parties' sum of surplus votes are combined, and if the combined surplus votes amount to an extra seat, the extra seat goes to the party with the greater number of surplus votes.

Voting begins 12 days before election day for the general public in Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide for Israelis serving abroad in an official capacity and their families, and for Israeli sailors on Israeli ships at sea. Polling stations for serving soldiers open 72 hours before election day and soldiers may cast their votes from then up to the end of the election. Election day is a legally mandated national holiday. Most public polling stations are open between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM, though if voters are still in line at 10:00 PM the station will remain open until everyone has voted. Polling stations in small communities with fewer than 350 residents, hospitals, and prisons are open between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Patients and staff in hospitals not able to vote during election hours are entitled to special permits allowing them to vote after polling stations in hospitals are closed to everyone else.

Every resident eligible to vote is assigned to a particular polling station close to their registered address, which maintains a list of all voters eligible to vote at that station. At the polling station, officials check the identification of voters to ensure that they are assigned to that particular station, check off their names in the list of voters for that station, and hand the voter an envelope. The voter selects the ballot slip of his or her party of choice behind a divider, places the slip into the envelope, then emerges from behind the partition to place it in the ballot box. Special polling stations are set up in hospitals, prisons, diplomatic missions abroad, military bases, women's shelters, and Israeli ships to enable medical professionals, patients, diplomats and their families, Jewish Agency staff abroad, soldiers, prison inmates and staff, sailors, and residents of women's shelters to vote. Polling stations with accessibility for the handicapped are set up around the country and police officers on duty may vote at any polling station. However, to ensure that nobody votes twice, as they are still assigned to a particular polling station close to their registered place of residence, they must vote with what are referred to as double envelopes. The envelope containing their ballot slip is placed into a larger envelope which also contains their identifying information so that it can be checked against the list of voters at their assigned polling station to see if they were marked as having voted there before their double envelope vote is counted. Aside from double envelope voters, all citizens may vote only at their registered polling station.

Once a regular polling station closes, officials at the polling station count the votes and send a document recording the results and the ballot box with the ballot slips inside it to one of 25 vote counting centers nationwide, where the documents are checked for any irregularities, then entered into the Central Elections Committee's software system, a closed system not connected to the Internet, and rechecked. Any irregularities detected by the software are brought to the attention of a district court judge present at the station throughout the vote counting process, who adjudicates all such cases. The results are published by the Central Elections Committee. The double envelope votes are brought to the Knesset and counted after all other votes have been counted. One team checks the identification details in the outer envelope against the list of voters at the person's assigned polling station to see if their name has been crossed out, which would mean that they had voted twice. The envelopes containing the ballot slips are then passed on to another team that opens them and counts the votes, thus preserving the anonymity of the votes.

Any Israeli citizen over 21 may be elected to the Knesset, except holders of several high positions in the civil service and officers or career soldiers (those should resign from their post before the elections), soldiers in compulsory service, and felons who were convicted and sentenced to prison terms exceeding three months (until seven years after their prison term expired).

The following people may not serve as a Member of Knesset (MK) due to their conflicting functions:

1. The President of the State of Israel
2. The two Chief Rabbis of the State of Israel
3. Any judge in the judicial system, so long as they still hold office
4. Any dayan, or judge in the Rabbinical Court system, so long as they still hold office
5. The State Comptroller
6. Rabbis or Ministers of religions, while receiving salaries for such a position
7. Senior state employees and senior army officers of such grades or ranks and in such functions as shall be determined by law

The following prevents a party from running a list in Knesset elections:

1. Negating the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people
2. Negating the democratic nature of the State
3. Incitement to racism
4. Support of armed struggle against the State of Israel

After an election, the President, following consultations with the elected party leaders, chooses the Knesset member most likely to have the ability to form a viable (coalition) government. While this typically is the leader of the party receiving the most seats, it is not required to be so. In the event a party wins 61 or more seats in an election, it can form a viable government without having to form a coalition. However, no party has ever won more than 56 seats in an election; thus, a coalition has always been required. That member has up to 42 days to negotiate with the different parties, and then present his or her government to the Knesset for a vote of confidence. If the Knesset approves the proposed government (by a vote of at least 61 members), he or she becomes Prime Minister.

As the coalitions often prove highly unstable - given the number and diverse views of the political parties involved - parties (or portions thereof) quite commonly leave them. However, so long as the coalition has at least 61 members (and it is free to recruit from parties not originally in the coalition) it is entitled to remain in power. Such a case occurred with the 19th Knesset: Ehud Barak and four other members left the Labor in 2011 to form the Independence Party and continued their alignment with Likud, while the remaining eight Labor members remained with the party but left the coalition; after all the changes the Likud coalition retained the support of the minimum 61 members and so it remained in power. If a coalition fails a motion of no confidence it ceases to be in power, but only if the motion names a specific replacement to be the prime minister. That individual then has a prescribed amount of time to form a new coalition, and new elections are called if this attempt is not successful (known as a constructive vote of no confidence).

Former procedures

Israeli poll booth

The electoral threshold for a party to be allocated a Knesset seat was only 1% until 1988; it was then raised to 1.5% and remained at that level until 2003, when it was again raised to 2%. On 11 March 2014, the Knesset approved a new law to raise the threshold to 3.25% (approximately 4 seats).

In 1992, in an attempt to produce more stable governments, Israel adopted a system of direct election of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was directly elected separately from the Knesset in 1996, 1999 and 2001. The direct election of the Prime Minister was abandoned after the 2001 election, having failed to produce more stable governments.

Voting method

Israel's voting method is simplified by the fact that voters vote for a political party and not specific candidates in a closed list system.

On election day, and upon entry to a polling station, the voter is given an official envelope, and shown to a voting booth.

Inside the booth is a tray of slips, one for each party. The slips are printed with the "ballot letters" of the party (between one and three Hebrew or Arabic letters), the full official name of the party, and sometimes a slogan in small print. Each party publicizes their letters prior to election day, with most election posters featuring them. As many political parties in Israel are known by their acronyms, several parties can spell out their name in two or three letters, and thus use their name as their ballot letters (e.g. Meretz and Hetz).

The voter chooses the relevant slip for their party, puts it in the envelope, seals it, and then places the envelope into the ballot box.

An Yisrael Beiteinu ballot letter from the 2009 election. The letter, lamed (ל, "L") is for party founder and chairman Avigdor Lieberman.

A Shas party ballot, also from the 2009 election. The letters, shin-samech (שס, "Sh-S") is the spelling of the party's name.

Parties use the equivalent letters in both official languages, Arabic and Hebrew; for instance Kadima use כן (Kaph-Nun) in Hebrew and ك‌ن (also Kaph-Nun) in Arabic. Because the Arabic alphabet shares a common source with the Hebrew (the Aramaic alphabet), each Hebrew letter has a perfectly corresponding Arabic one, facilitating this system.

The system has the advantage of being simple to use for those with limited literacy. This is especially important in Israel where many new immigrants struggle with the language, especially reading and writing, as Hebrew uses a unique alphabet.

Each party must register its chosen letters with the Israeli Central Elections Committee, and certain letters are reserved. If a new party wishes to use letters from an older party, it must receive permission from that party. Example of reserved letters are Mem, Het and Lamedh for Likud and Shin and Samekh for Shas.

Voting is done entirely with paper ballots and votes are counted manually before being entered into a computer system not connected to the Internet to be checked again. Israel does not employ electronic voting due to fears that elections could be vulnerable to cyber threats from those trying to influence the results.

2009

The following (Hebrew) ballot letters were used in the 2009 election. Next to them are their Arabic and Latin equivalents.

Party	Ballot letters	Notes	Party	Ballot letters	Notes
Ahrayut	נפ ن‌ف NP		Lehem	נר ن‌ر NR
Ale Yarok	קנ ق‌ن QN	First two letters of cannabis	Lev LaOlim	ינ ي‌ن YN
Balad	ד ض D		Likud	מחל م‌ح‌ل MḤL	abbreviation of "National camp". Originally an abbreviation for "Freedom-Liberal Party."
Brit Olam	פי ف‌ي PY		Man's Rights in the Family Party	פק ف‌ق PQ
Da'am	ק ق Q		New Movement-Meretz	מרצ م‌ر‌ص MRTz	Party name
Gil	זך ز‌خ ZK	"Pure"	National Union	ט ط Ṭ	The letter actually belongs to the Moledet party
Green Movement-Meimad	ה ه H		Or	אר ا‌ر ‘R	(The first and last letters of the party name)
Green Party	רק ر‌ق RQ	"Only"	Shas	שס ش‌س ShS	Party name
Hadash	ו و W		The Jewish Home	ב ب B	B for Bayit ("Home")
HaYisraelim	ים ي‌م YM	First and last letters of Yisraelim	Tzabar	צי ص‌ي TzY
Holocaust survivors & Ale Yarok Alumni	יק ي‌ق YQ	First and last letters of Yarok	Tzomet	ץ ص Tz	First letter of party name
Kadima	כן ك‌ن KN	"Yes"	United Arab List-Ta'al	עם ع‌م ’M	"People"/"Nation"
Koah HaKesef	קפ ق‌ف QP		United Torah Judaism	ג خ G
Koah LeHashpi'a	פ ف P		Yisrael Beiteinu	ל ل L	L for Lieberman
Labour	אמת ا‌م‌ت ‘MT	"Truth"	Yisrael HaMithadeshet	נ ن N	N for Nudelman
LaZuz	נץ ن‌ص NTz		Yisrael Hazaka	חי ح‌ي ḤY	"Alive"
Leader	קץ ق‌ص QTz

2006

The following (Hebrew) ballot letters were used in the 2006 election:

Party	Ballot letters	Notes	Party	Ballot letters	Notes
Ale Yarok	קנ	KN, First two letters of Cannabis	Lev LaOlim	פז	PZ, "Gold"
Arab National Party	קפ	QP	Leader	ף	P
Atid Ekhad	זה	ZH	Likud	מחל	MḤL, abbreviation of "National camp"; originally an abbreviation for "Freedom-Liberal Party"
Balad	ד	D	Meretz-Yachad	מרצ	MRTz, Party name
Brit Olam	ה	H	National Union-NRP	טב	ṬB, "Good" (using Niqqud)
Gil	זך	ZK, "Pure"	New Zionism	צה	TzH
Green Party	רק	RQ, "Only"	Organization for Democratic Action	ק	Q
Hadash	ו	W	Oz LaAniyim	פכ	PK
HaLev	פץ	PTz	Shas	שס	ShS, Party name
Herut – The National Movement	נץ	NTz, "Hawk"	Shinui	יש	YSh, There is
Hetz	חץ	HTz, Party name	Tafnit	פ	P
Jewish National Front	כ	K	Tzomet	כץ	KTz
Justice for All	קז	QZ	United Arab List-Ta'al	עם	’M, "People"/"Nation"
Kadima	כן	KN, "Yes"	United Torah Judaism	ג	G
Labour	אמת	‘MT, "Truth"	Yisrael Beiteinu	ל	L for Lieberman
Lekhem	ז	Z

Historical

The following ballot letters were used by historical parties or in previous elections:

Party	Ballot letters	Notes
Kach	כך	Party name
Rafi	כא	"A"-alike
Mapai	א	"A"/"One"
National Union	In 1999 יט; in 2003 ל

2013 elections

Main article: Israeli legislative election, 2013

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Likud Yisrael Beiteinu	885,054	23.34	31	–11
Yesh Atid	543,458	14.33	19	New
Labor Party	432,118	11.39	15	+7
The Jewish Home	345,985	9.12	12	+9
Shas	331,868	8.75	11	+1
United Torah Judaism	195,892	5.16	7	+2
Hatnuah	189,167	4.99	6	New
Meretz	172,403	4.55	6	+3
United Arab List	138,450	3.65	4	0
Hadash	113,439	2.99	4	0
Balad	97,030	2.56	3	0
Kadima	79,081	2.09	2	–26
Otzma LeYisrael	66,775	1.76	0	New
Am Shalem	45,690	1.20	0	-1
Ale Yarok	43,734	1.15	0	0
Eretz Hadasha	28,080	0.74	0	New
Koah Lehashpi'a	28,049	0.74	0	0
HaYisraelim	18,941	0.50	0	0
The Greens and the Youth	8,117	0.21	0	0
Dor	5,975	0.16	0	0
Living with Dignity	3,640	0.10	0	New
Da'am Workers Party	3,546	0.09	0	0
We are Brothers	2,899	0.08	0	New
Social Justice	2,877	0.08	0	New
We are all Friends	2,176	0.06	0	New
Pirate Party	2,076	0.05	0	New
Economics Party	1,972	0.05	0	New
Leader	1,352	0.04	0	0
Or	1,027	0.03	0	0
Brit Olam	761	0.02	0	0
Hope for Change	649	0.02	0	New
Moreshet Avot	461	0.01	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	40,904	–	–	–
Total	3,833,646	100	120	†
Registered voters/turnout	5,656,705	67.78	–	–
Source: Government of Israel

† Does not sum to zero because Independence (5 seats in the previous Knesset) and National Union (4 seats) did not participate in the elections.

2015 elections

Main article: Israeli legislative election, 2015

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Likud	985,408	23.40	30	+12
Zionist Union	786,313	18.67	24	+3a
Joint List	446,583	10.61	13	+2b
Yesh Atid	371,602	8.82	11	–8
Kulanu	315,360	7.49	10	New
The Jewish Home	283,910	6.74	8	–4
Shas	241,613	5.74	7	–4
Yisrael Beiteinu	214,906	5.10	6	–7
United Torah Judaism	210,143	4.99	6	–1
Meretz	165,529	3.93	5	–1
Yachad	125,158	2.97	0	New
Ale Yarok	47,180	1.12	0	0
Arab List	4,301	0.11	0	New
The Greens	2,992	0.07	0	0
We are all friends Na Nach	2,493	0.06	0	0
U'Bizchutan	1,802	0.04	0	New
Hope for Change	1,385	0.03	0	0
Pirate Party of Israel	895	0.02	0	0
Flower Party	823	0.02	0	New
Brit Olam	761	0.02	0	0
Or	502	0.01	0	0
Living with Dignity	423	0.01	0	0
Economy Party	337	0.01	0	0
Democratura	242	0.01	0	New
Social Leadership	223	0.01	0	0
Invalid/blank votes	43,854	–	–	–
Total	4,254,738	100	120	–
Registered voters/turnout	5,881,696	72.34	–	–
Source: CEC

2019 elections

Main article: April 2019 Israeli legislative election

Turnout

Year	Valid Votes	Invalid Votes	Total Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
1949	434,684	5,411	440,095	506,567	86.9%
1951	687,492	7,515	695,007	924,885	75.2%
1955	853,219	22,969	876,188	1,057,609	82.8%
1959	969,339	24,967	994,306	1,218,724	81.6%
1961	1,006,964	30,066	1,037,030	1,274,280	81.4%
1965	1,206,728	37,978	1,244,706	1,499,988	83.0%
1969	1,367,743	60,238	1,427,981	1,758,685	81.2%
1973	1,566,855	34,243	1,601,098	2,037,478	78.6%
1977	1,747,870	23,906	1,771,776	2,236,293	79.2%
1981	1,920,123	17,243	1,937,366	2,490,014	77.8%
1984	2,073,321	18,081	2,091,402	2,654,613	78.8%
1988	2,283,123	22,444	2,305,567	2,894,267	79.7%
1992	2,616,841	21,102	2,637,943	3,409,015	77.4%
1996	3,052,130	67,702	3,119,832	3,933,250	79.3%
1999	3,309,416	64,332	3,373,748	4,285,428	78.7%
2003	3,148,364	52,409	3,200,773	4,720,075	67.8%
2006	3,137,064	49,675	3,186,739	5,014,622	63.5%
2009	3,373,490	43,097	3,416,587	5,278,985	64.7%
2013	3,792,742	40,904	3,833,646	5,656,705	67.8%
2015	4,209,467	43,869	4,253,336	5,881,696	72.36%
2019	4,309,270	30,983	4,340,253	3,943,254	68.46%

External links

• Voting in Israel: A Right for All Citizens 2008 The Israel Project
• Knesset Elections Results Knesset website Template:En icon
• Adam Carr's election archive
• 2015 Israel Election News Bulletins
• MavenSearch Israel Elections 2009
• Israeli Politics for Dummies