Israeli election: how voting will work and when the result is announced

How the vote is counted

Israel uses nationwide proportional representation. Voters choose one party rather than an individual candidate, and each party’s share of the national vote determines how many Knesset seats it receives.

A party needs at least 3.25 per cent of the vote, equivalent to four seats, to enter the Knesset. Although 38 parties are contesting the election, most are not expected to reach that threshold.

Coalition talks may take time

No single party has historically won a majority, so governments are formed through coalitions. A coalition needs 61 seats; if no one can assemble one, voters return to the polls.

Polling stations are scheduled to open at 7am local time and close at 10pm. Official results are due to be confirmed on Tuesday 4 November, while the wider process of forming a government may take 20 to 100 days. In the past two decades, no government has been sworn in within 50 days.

Once a coalition agreement is signed, the Knesset holds a special session. The designated prime minister presents the government and its policy agenda, followed by a formal vote; if it passes, the government begins its tenure.

A close contest between blocs

The two main blocs are described as nearly equal in strength. One is an alliance of far-right parties dominated by Netanyahu; the other is led by Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot, a former head of the Israel Defence Forces.

Current polling points to a tight race for prime minister. A new poll reported by The Independent suggests Netanyahu’s coalition may fall short of a majority, while the Eisenkot-led opposition could win the most seats. However, other liberal parties that might join it are forecast to have fewer votes combined than the right-wing partners.

Issues with regional consequences

The election is considered one of Israel’s most consequential. Its outcome could affect Palestinians, relations with neighbouring states and ties with international partners, including the US and Europe.

Key debates include exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, how to investigate the failure to prevent the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks, and possible future concessions in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon. The vote follows three years of war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran that have unsettled the Middle East.