Voter turnout in Israeli elections hits 55.7% nine hours into polling, ‘highest ever’ recorded

Voter turnout in Israel’s hard-fought legislative elections reached 55.7% by 4 pm on Tuesday, the highest figure recorded for that hour since 1973, when records began, according to the Central Elections Committee, Anadolu reports.

Din Livneh, the committee’s acting chair, said over 4.08 million voters had cast their ballots, compared with a turnout rate of 47.5% at the same time in the previous elections, according to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

Livneh described the turnout as “the highest it has been” since the committee began recording the data.

The number of people who had voted was up 17.2% compared to the corresponding point in the previous elections, in 2002, he added.

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Turnout stood at 44.9% at 2 pm, with more than 3.29 million voters having cast their ballots, the committee said earlier.

Extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attributed the high turnout to exceptionally strong participation among Arab voters and in left-wing strongholds.

More than 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote in Tuesday’s elections to choose members of the 120-seat Knesset.

Polling stations opened at 7 am local time and are scheduled to close at 10 pm (2000GMT).

The elections are Israel’s first general polls since the start of its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

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