Israel elects its 24th Knesset and next government

On Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 6,578,084 eligible voters are called for the fourth time in two years to elect a new parliament and their next government. Some will seize the moment for change; others buoyed by the successful vaccination drive to vanquish the covid-19 plague, may opt for supporting PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud for another stint; and an unknown number may resentfully opt out of the call for their fourth vote in two years. Officialdom has made an all-out effort to drag voters to the polls – such as meeting the special needs of coronavirus victims with voting stations in hospital wards, quarantine centers, and homes for the elderly; buses are converted to mobile polling booths. Some half-a-million double envelope votes are estimated to be filed. Public transport lines are carrying voters to 13,000  free of charge to polling stations across the country. One station is operating at Ben Gurion international airport for returning Israelis.
Three TV stations promise to release exit polls moments after voting ends a 10 p.m. Tuesday night.