On a Tuesday in late October, Israelis went to the polls in their first national election since the October 7 attack that set off the war in Gaza, a vote shaped by grief, by the long shadow of a war that has reshaped the region, and by a prime minister facing questions he has not yet answered to the satisfaction of many citizens. The final polls leave Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition nearly level, neither yet within reach of the 61 seats that would make a government. The true answer will come slowly, through an official count and then through the patient, often wearisom
Israel's 2026 Election: When Results Arrive and What Happens Next
The article references the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the ensuing war in Gaza, and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, but gives no new casualty or displacement figures.
No single party in Israel has ever won an outright majority
Mark
Why is this election drawing so much attention?
Mimi
It's the first since October 7, 2023, and the war that followed. Netanyahu also faces questions over the attack, the captives, corruption allegations and ultra-Orthodox military service.
Mark
And the polls?
Mimi
Haaretz's average of Channels 11, 12 and 13 had Netanyahu's bloc at 50 seats and Eisenkot's at 54. Neither reaches 61.
Luke
Worth noting that's an average of final polls, not a result. Polls can miss, and the gap between 50 and 54 is small.
Mark
When will we actually know who won?
Mimi
Exit polls should come within hours of the 10pm close. The final tally is expected Friday, with official results on November 4.
Luke
Exit polls are indications, not outcomes. And a winner of the most seats isn't automatically the next prime minister.
Mark
So what decides that?
Mimi
President Herzog consults party leaders and picks whoever he thinks can form a government. That person has up to 42 days.
Luke
What we can't say is who he'd choose or how coalition talks will go. That depends on seat counts we don't have yet, including which of about a dozen parties clear 3.25 percent.
Mark
And if talks fail?
Mimi
Netanyahu's government stays as caretaker, and if no workable coalition emerges, new elections are called.
Der Puls
- Polls closed at 10pm local time, and exit polls will hint at the outcome within hours, though those early signals can mislead.
- Netanyahu's bloc sits near 50 seats and Eisenkot's near 54, both well short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
- Official results are not due until November 4, and with about a dozen parties vying for the threshold, seat allocation will take time.
- If no bloc secures 61, President Herzog will pick a candidate to try forming a government, with 42 days to succeed before new elections become the path forward.
On a Tuesday in late October, Israelis went to the polls in their first national election since the October 7 attack that set off the war in Gaza, a vote shaped by grief, by the long shadow of a war that has reshaped the region, and by a prime minister facing questions he has not yet answered to the satisfaction of many citizens. The final polls leave Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition nearly level, neither yet within reach of the 61 seats that would make a government. The true answer will come slowly, through an official count and then through the patient, often wearisome bargaining that Israeli democracy has always required before power changes hands.
Polls in Israel opened at 7am on Tuesday and closed at 10pm, beginning a count that may take days to yield a clear answer. About 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote, including 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel. It is the first national election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which set off the war in Gaza.
The vote comes amid violence in the occupied West Bank, where settler and military violence has escalated, and rising tensions with several neighbours. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces questions over the failures that preceded the October 7 attack, his government's handling of efforts to free captives held in Gaza, alleged corruption, and disputes over military service for the ultra-Orthodox.
The final polls show his coalition level with, or slightly behind, the opposition bloc led by former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot. Averaged across three channels, the surveys give Netanyahu's bloc 50 seats and Eisenkot's 54, and neither reaches the 61 needed for a majority.
Exit polls will arrive within hours, but official results are not formally published until November 4, and coalition talks can stretch for weeks. Israel's proportional system and its 3.25 percent threshold mean that the weeks after the vote may matter as much as the vote itself.
Polls in Israel opened at 7am local time on Tuesday and close at 10pm, the start of a count that may not produce a clear answer for days. About 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote, among them 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel. It is the first national election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which set off the war in Gaza.
The vote arrives against a difficult backdrop. Violence by Israeli settlers and forces in the occupied West Bank has escalated, and tensions have risen with several neighbours, many of which Israel has attacked over the past three years. Al Jazeera's coverage links the election to a recent UN panel accusation of extermination in the West Bank and genocide in Gaza, and to reporting on Hebron businesses counting the cost of an Israeli assault.
At home, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces questions on several fronts: alleged failures that allowed the October 7 attack, his government's handling of efforts to bring back captives taken to Gaza, alleged corruption, and disputes over military service for the ultra-Orthodox.
The final polls, published Friday, show his coalition level with the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, or slightly behind it. Haaretz, which collates polls from Israeli channels, averaged the surveys from Channels 11, 12 and 13. That average gave Netanyahu's bloc 50 seats and Eisenkot's 54. The Knesset has 120 seats, so a majority needs 61, and neither side reaches it on those numbers.
Exit polls should be broadcast by news channels within a few hours of polls closing, and results will appear live on the Central Elections Committee website. Those first indications can mislead, though. If no party or coalition clearly secures a majority, the picture takes longer to settle. The final tally is expected by Friday, and official results are formally published on November 4, a week after the vote. Israelis abroad cannot vote because there is no general absentee ballot. Diplomats and state emissaries were the exception and voted at Israeli missions on October 20.
The system is proportional. Voters choose a single party rather than individual candidates, and seats follow vote share. A party with 50 percent of the national vote would take 50 percent of the 120 seats. To enter the Knesset, a party needs at least 3.25 percent. About a dozen parties are widely thought to have a chance of clearing that bar, which is one reason seat allocation takes time.
After the count, President Isaac Herzog consults party leaders on whom they want as prime minister, then picks the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government. That person has up to 42 days. No single party in Israel has ever won an outright majority, so governments are coalitions, and negotiations often run for weeks.
If no one succeeds, Netanyahu's government stays on as a caretaker. Before that point, whoever leads the count has options: a minority government, or a power-sharing deal in which two leaders alternate as prime minister. If every attempt fails, new elections must be called. With both blocs short of 61 in the final polls, the weeks after Tuesday may matter as much as the vote itself.
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If no government emerges, Netanyahu's government remains as a caretaker, and if all negotiations fail, new elections must be called.— Al Jazeera explainer (paraphrased)
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