Israel's Knesset Elections Begin as Diplomats Abroad Cast First Votes

Voting for the 26th Knesset elections is underway. Polling stations opened last night (between Wednesday and Thursday, Israel time) at 100 Israeli diplomatic missions around the world. They will remain open until tomorrow at 6:00 a.m., Israel time, allowing thousands of Israeli representatives abroad to cast their votes.

The first to vote was Israel's ambassador to New Zealand, Alon Roth Snir, along with the embassy staff in Wellington. They were followed, for the first time ever, by Israel's ambassador to Fiji, Maya Yaron, and her team, and then by staff at the Israeli embassy in Canberra, Australia's capital, headed by Ambassador Hillel Newman. The last to vote will be consulate employees on the West Coast of the United States, at the missions in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In total, more than 4,800 diplomats, state representatives, and their family members are eligible to vote. The ballots will be flown to Israel via diplomatic mail, coordinated by the Foreign Ministry and the Central Elections Committee. They will then be transferred to the Knesset and counted as double-envelope ballots, alongside votes cast by soldiers.

This morning, as voting began at Israeli missions abroad, President Isaac Herzog visited the Israeli embassy in Baku, accompanied by Israel's ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ronen Krausz.

“This is a very important moment in my diplomatic visit here in Azerbaijan,” Herzog said. “I have the privilege of seeing how the election process begins and how the elections are actually conducted at Israel's missions abroad, here at the embassy in Baku.”

“These elections are a celebration of democracy in Israel and at its embassies abroad,” the president added. “I call on all the citizens of the country to exercise their right to vote and, of course, to influence Israel's future. These are very important elections after a difficult period for the State of Israel, and the main thing I want to say to all Israeli citizens is that elections are not a civil war. On the contrary, this is our real process for influencing our lives and determining the direction the country is heading in.”

Next Tuesday, October 20, voting will also begin in the IDF. More than 800 polling stations will be established across all units and sectors. Early voting in the military will continue for seven days, until the general election on October 27.

All service members, including those in regular service and on active reserve duty, will be able to exercise their right to vote, even during operational activities. For the first time, voting will also take place during border crossings. Stationary and mobile polling stations will be deployed wherever service members are stationed, as needed.