Israel election sees record turnout
The gist
Israel's election drew 44.9% turnout by 2 p.m., the highest at that hour since 1973.
The vote is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
How it unfolded
- Oct 25, 2026CNN reports the election is Israel's first national vote since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, and the wars that followed in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
- Oct 26, 2026Alhurra reports a Stat-Net Institute poll, cited by Reuters, estimated Arab turnout could reach about 63%, up from more than 53% in the 2022 election.
- Oct 27, 2026Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), with 7,331,981 Israelis eligible to vote, 36 parties competing for 120 Knesset seats and some 12,018 polling stations nationwide.