Israeli voter turnout hits record 66.7% by early evening

According to the Central Elections Committee, 66.7% of eligible voters had voted by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, amounting to 4,892,186 ballots and marking the highest turnout at that hour since hourly tracking began in 1973. The figure jumped from 55.7% at 4 p.m., which itself broke the prior record and was eight points higher than the same hour in the 2022 race. Localities such as Kafr Qasim (73.9%) and Rahat (72.2%) reported the strongest participation, while Tel Aviv-Jaffa saw the largest number of votes cast.

Jerusalem, Haifa and other major cities recorded turnouts ranging from the mid-50s to low-60s percent. The Israel Defense Forces reported a 68% turnout among soldiers by 5 p.m., up from 65% in the previous election, aided by early voting at bases in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Analysts linked the surge to heightened mobilization among Arab voters and younger citizens, suggesting potential implications for party fortunes.