Israel will hold parliamentary elections on Tuesday, October 27, 2023. This election is the first parliamentary election held after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which has impacted the country's situation and the Middle East region.
Challenges for Prime Minister Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, faces serious challenges in this election, especially from moderate rivals who have promised to usher in a new era in Israeli politics. While Netanyahu seeks to maintain his power, preliminary election results may be announced within hours after the polls close, but the final vote count may take days or even weeks.
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Voting Process and Results
Voting in this election will begin at 7 AM (local time) and continue until 10 PM. After the polls close, Israeli television channels will broadcast exit polls that will provide the first indications of the election results. The final results are expected to be announced by October 30, and the official election results will be published a week later, on November 4.
The elections are held for 120 Knesset (Israeli Parliament) seats under a proportional representation system, and parties must obtain at least 3.25% of the votes to gain seats. About twelve parties have a chance of crossing this threshold in this election, so it will take a long time to determine the distribution of seats and the final results.
Forming a Government After the Elections
After the final results are announced, Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, will consult with party leaders to determine which candidate has the best chance of forming a government. This candidate will have up to 42 days to form a government. Due to the lack of an absolute majority for any party in Israel's history, governments are usually formed through a coalition of parties, and negotiations to form a government can take weeks. If the candidate fails to form a government, others will also try their chances, and if no government is formed, new elections will be held.
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