Polling stations for local elections opened across 242 municipalities nationwide Tuesday morning in a vote that has been postponed twice since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war which started after Hamas' deadly terrorist attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7.
Read more:
Voters have access to approximately 11,727 polling stations, including about 2,788 accessible stations and approximately 1,400 stations for special voting.
2 View gallery
Israeli servicemembers vote for local elections at designated polling stations
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Additional hundreds of polling stations have been set up on military bases, at the front lines and even in combat zones, some of which opened last week.
The polls will close at 10:00 PM. In small communities with up to 350 voters and at special polling stations - in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and prisons - the polls will close at 8:00 PM or earlier.
While national elections have become unpredictable and held with increasing frequency in recent years, municipal authorities represent a bastion of stability for residents.
On their way to the ballot box, they consider how they want daily issues such as education, cleanliness, public transportation and culture to be addressed, and during times of war, the need for enhanced security also rises to prominence.
Vote counting will begin only after all polling stations close at 10:00 PM. Due to the high number of reservists currently serving amid the war, the Interior Ministry anticipates a significant increase in double envelopes, approximately 400,000 compared to 95,000 in the previous local elections, which is expected to delay the publication of the actual results.
From the moment the vote counting begins, results will be gradually published on the Interior Ministry's website, with the expectation that final results will be announced at the beginning of next week.
In municipalities where no candidate for head of the municipality receives more than 40% of the votes, a run-off will be held on Sunday, March 10. This date was moved forward to accommodate voters observing Ramadan.