I am getting ready for my first Israeli election and as a service to my American friends (and other readers) I want to create a basic primer. (sort of an Israeli elections 101)
Election day will be on Tuesday October 27 and I am anxiously preparing. That includes a) reading everything that I can find about the choices; b) signing up to attend house parties by and for the various parties that are scheduled (in English) in my town of Zichron Yaakov and; c) initiating conversations with virtual strangers that go something like this. me: “I don’t mean to start an argument but …. I’m very anxious about casting my first vote. Could you tell me please who you are voting for.” I have decided that I will also start inviting people that I already know (some long time Israeli’s and some new immigrants like me) to meet me in the morning for coffee or in the evening for a beer to share their opinions about the choice. Everyone seems to agree that this is an almost existential choice for Israel. The most important election of our lifetime.
There are at least the following three big differences between voting here and voting in America.
First: Every citizen (above the age of eighteen) is automatically eligible to vote.
Second: ALL voting is done in person and by paper ballots. (There is no mail in voting and definitely no electronic voting)
Third: Votes are counted nationally (there is no representation by “state” or gerrymandered districts) and all votes are for parties and not for individuals.
Fourth: There will be (I am petty certain of this) 38 parties to choose from when I get my ballot. Ultimately there will be 120 members elected to the Knesset and seats will be determined proportionately based on the percentage of votes for each party that passes the threshold of 3.25 percent (enough for four Knesset seats).
Fifth: The votes for parties that do not reach threshold will be discarded.
All of that above is relatively straightforward. After the votes are counted (I am told this is done by the end of the day after the election) there will be perhaps 12 – 15 parties who will have passed threshold and will get a distribution of the 120 Knesset seats. No single party is expected to get as many as 30 seats so the real race will then begin to determine if any candidate can put together a coalition that can get 61 votes (a majority) in the new Knesset.