The agency overseeing the latest Knesset contest has received a formal request to modify the polling schedule for Oct 27, as Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and the religious Shas party seek to keep voting stations open past the scheduled 10 p.m. deadline. While Likud suggested the extension is needed to mobilize more supporters, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party opposed the petition, alleging that Netanyahu is attempting to create a pretext to later challenge the integrity of the election results.
The dispute follows a surge in voter participation, with the Central Election Committee reporting that approximately 4.85 million people, or 55.7% of the electorate, had cast their ballots by 4 p.m., representing an 8% increase over 2022. Despite the high turnout and reports that participation in most Arab towns exceeded 60%, the committee has told Channel 12 News it has no intention of granting the request to prolong the voting window.