Israelis began voting at 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026 (1 a.m. ET) in a Knesset election widely framed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with early turnout running ahead of 2022. Most polling stations close at 10 p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET), when exit polls are expected, according to Israel National News.
The vote for all 120 seats in the 26th Knesset follows a war with Iran that began in February and is now at a standstill, a deadly attack near Hebron last week and two public endorsements of Netanyahu by President Donald Trump. Final polls showed no bloc reaching the 61 seats needed to govern, with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party narrowly ahead of Likud.
This is a follow-up to Ecker Geopolitics' pre-election report, Israel Election 2026: Final Polls Put Eisenkot Ahead of Netanyahu. Results will be partial overnight, and official results are due Nov. 4.
Key Facts
- When: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026; polls open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Israel time (UTC+2), or 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
- Where: 12,018 polling stations across Israel; West Bank crossings closed for the day, per Al Jazeera.
- Who: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud); Gadi Eisenkot (Yashar); Naftali Bennett (Together, with Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid); President Isaac Herzog, who will choose who forms the government.
- What: Election of the 26th Knesset under nationwide proportional representation with a 3.25% threshold.
- Electorate: 7,331,981 eligible voters choosing among 36 lists.
- Early turnout: 16.7% by 10 a.m. local time, about 1.2 million votes, up from 15.9% at the same hour in 2022.
- Status: Voting under way; exit polls expected at 10 p.m. local (4 p.m. ET); official results Nov. 4.
What Happened
Polls opened at 7 a.m. with 7,331,981 Israelis eligible to vote at 12,018 stations, Israel National News reported. Intercity buses and Israel Railways ran free of charge for the day, and forecasters warned of storms and flash floods in the Negev, Arava and Dead Sea areas.
By 10 a.m., turnout stood at 16.7%, roughly 1.2 million ballots, compared with 15.9% at the same point in 2022, The Times of Israel reported. "By 10 am, more than 1,200,000 Israelis had voted," acting Central Elections Committee director-general Dean Livne said, according to Middle East Eye. Turnout in the 2022 election was 70.63%, according to the Associated Press.
The video below, posted by France 24's official YouTube channel, shows the opening of polls with reporting from Jerusalem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSlb7A5IIjM
Party leaders cast ballots and made final appeals through the morning. Eisenkot campaigned in communities near Gaza with former hostage Gadi Mozes, saying that anyone in government with "even a shred of responsibility" would have started their morning there, The Times of Israel reported. Bennett, voting in Ra'anana, said "this nation of lions is going out to save the country once again."
On the right, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich attributed the high turnout to "unusually high voting rates in the Arab sector and left-wing strongholds" and urged supporters, "Don't throw your vote in the trash." Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who voted in Kiryat Arba, said, "God willing I will become defense minister," the AP reported. Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas said, "Our vote will change the government."
Netanyahu was scheduled to vote in Jerusalem late Tuesday morning, JFeed reported. Ecker Geopolitics could not independently confirm his vote or any remarks at the time of publication.
President Isaac Herzog, visiting the elections committee headquarters, called the day "a real holiday of democracy, and no one can be allowed to ruin it," according to The Times of Israel.
"I don't think the president of the United States or anybody else can intervene in my discretion." — President Isaac Herzog, Oct. 26, via The Times of Israel
Several complaints surfaced by midday. Police arrested three men from Bedouin communities in the south over an alleged scheme to buy votes for Ra'am and found envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels, according to The Times of Israel. Abbas called the arrests of party activists "an attempt to influence the election results," the AP reported. Yashar filed an urgent complaint over ballot slips being removed or turned over, saying, "Anyone who tries to steal ballot slips is trying to steal the election."
Timeline
| Date/Time (ET) | Event |
|---|---|
| July 17, 2026 | 25th Knesset dissolves, setting an Oct. 27 election |
| Sept. 8, 2026 | Deadline for party lists |
| Oct. 18, 2026 | Trump endorses Netanyahu on social media |
| Oct. 23, 2026 | Two Israeli soldiers killed in shooting at Hebron checkpoint |
| Oct. 25, 2026 | Trump posts second endorsement; final polls published |
| Oct. 27, 1:00 a.m. | Polls open (7 a.m. Israel) |
| Oct. 27, 4:00 a.m. | Turnout reaches 16.7% |
| Oct. 27, 4:00 p.m. | Polls close; exit polls expected |
| Oct. 29 | Vote count expected to be complete |
| Nov. 4 | Official results due |
Who's Involved
Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud, is seeking another term as prime minister. Likud is running jointly with Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope, according to Wikipedia's election summary.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, leads Yashar. He has pledged to destroy Hamas's "governing force" within 18 months of forming the next government, the AP reported.
Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister, heads the Together list with Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid. Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu complained that a voter in Beersheba received an envelope already containing a Likud ballot slip, The Times of Israel reported.
Isaac Herzog, Israel's president, will consult the parties after official results and assign a lawmaker to form a government.
The Ground Picture
Security is heavy. More than 20,000 police officers are deployed under a plan presented by Police Commissioner Danny Levy, Israel National News reported. More than 15,000 cameras were installed at polling stations, according to the AP.
All West Bank crossings were closed for the day. The closure follows the Oct. 23 checkpoint shooting near Hebron that killed two soldiers and a subsequent sweep of the city in which, the Palestinian governor said, more than 500 homes were searched and more than 70 people were arrested, Al Jazeera reported.
Arab citizens make up about 18% of the electorate. Pollsters cited by Middle East Eye project Arab turnout of 60% to 70%, compared with 53% in 2022, a projection Ecker Geopolitics could not independently verify. Arab parties averaged about 14.5 seats combined in final polls, The Jerusalem Post reported.
A further 600,000 to 650,000 double-envelope ballots, cast by soldiers and others voting outside their home stations, are expected and could move roughly 15 seats' worth of votes after election night, Israel National News reported.
Geopolitical Players
United States: Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Oct. 18, calling him a "great warrior prime minister," Euronews reported. On Oct. 25 he posted, "Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister; we have to finish the job that we started!" according to The Jerusalem Post. Israel Hayom reported a U.S.-backed plan for a unity government, prompting Ben-Gvir to lash out, The Times of Israel reported; Ecker Geopolitics could not verify that report.
Iran: The campaign unfolded during a war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in February, Al Jazeera reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Netanyahu of seeking renewed war to "stay out of jail." IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir said there were no indications of a need to strike Iran before the vote, The Times of Israel reported.
Palestinians and Arab states: No formal statements on the vote from Hamas or Arab governments had been identified at the time of publication. The Gulf-Pakistan-Turkey diplomacy with Iran is covered in our report on the Tehran security talks.
What It Means for the United States
This section is analysis.
Benefits and opportunities
- A clear result, either way, would give Washington a stable partner for decisions on renewed Iran strikes, which U.S. officials have reportedly planned for after the Nov. 3 midterms.
- A unity government spanning Likud and Yashar could broaden Israeli support for U.S.-backed Saudi normalization efforts.
- Strong turnout and a peaceful count reinforce the democratic legitimacy of America's closest Middle East ally.
Risks and dangers
- A deadlock would leave Netanyahu as caretaker for months, complicating coordination on Iran, Gaza and Hezbollah.
- Trump's open endorsement ties U.S. prestige to one candidate; a Netanyahu loss could be read in the region as a setback for Washington.
- Disputed results or post-election unrest could distract Israel during a period of heightened Iranian threats to U.S. personnel.
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What's Next
Exit polls air at 10 p.m. Israel time (4 p.m. ET). The Central Elections Committee expects the count to be finished by Thursday afternoon, Oct. 29, with official results Nov. 4, Israel National News reported.
Herzog must assign a lawmaker within seven days of official results. That nominee gets 28 days, extendable by 14; if a second nominee also fails, the Knesset can petition for a third candidate before dissolving, Ynet reported. Ynet outlines five scenarios, including an Eisenkot-led government, a renewed Netanyahu coalition, a unity rotation and a new election.
Watch the live results with us: watch Ecker Geopolitics, and cast your vote in today's poll.
Sources
- Israel National News: Polls open across Israel, Oct. 27, 2026
- Israel National News: Election day guide, Oct. 26, 2026
- Israel National News: Police deploy for election, Oct. 26, 2026
- The Times of Israel: Live blog, Oct. 27, 2026, Oct. 27, 2026
- The Times of Israel: Live blog (AMP edition), Oct. 27, 2026
- The Times of Israel: Herzog says Trump's endorsement won't affect his choice, Oct. 26, 2026
- The Times of Israel: IDF chief says no need for Iran strike before election, Oct. 22, 2026
- Associated Press via WSLS: Israelis vote in a tense national election, Oct. 27, 2026
- Middle East Eye: Israel elections polls open, Oct. 27, 2026
- Middle East Eye: Live coverage, Oct. 27, 2026
- The Jerusalem Post: Eisenkot leads Netanyahu but Knesset deadlock looms, Oct. 25, 2026
- The Jerusalem Post: Trump's second endorsement, Oct. 26, 2026
- The Jerusalem Post: Election day, Oct. 27, 2026
- Euronews: Trump endorses Netanyahu days before election, Oct. 19, 2026
- Al Jazeera: Trump backs Netanyahu, Oct. 19, 2026
- Al Jazeera: West Bank under siege as Israelis go to the polls, Oct. 27, 2026
- Ynet: Five scenarios after the election, Oct. 27, 2026
- JFeed: Where the candidates vote, Oct. 27, 2026
- Wikipedia: 2026 Israeli legislative election, accessed Oct. 27, 2026
- timeanddate: Israel daylight saving time change 2026, accessed Oct. 27, 2026