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Hour-long voting lines mark Israel's unusually busy election day

An election official says turnout reached levels unseen since 1973, as polling staff receive instructions to keep queues moving.

Channel: Kan News Hebrew channel ·

IsraelStory of October 28, 2026Trari Newsroom

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נוהרים לקלפיות: אחוזי הצבעה חסרי תקדים - "חצינו את כל השיאים"

Voters describe waiting half an hour or more to cast their ballots, while polling stations fill with long lines in a report by Israel's Kan News, part of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

The October 27 report by Nov Reuveny follows participation in the election for the 26th Knesset, Israel's parliament. Dean Livne, acting director-general of the Central Elections Committee, says the nationwide turnout rate had not been seen since 1973. His remarks describe participation during election day, rather than a certified final result.

The video's Hebrew title, "נוהרים לקלפיות: אחוזי הצבעה חסרי תקדים - \"חצינו את כל השיאים\"", means "Voters flock to the polls in unprecedented turnout: 'We've broken every record.'"

At polling stations, the national picture becomes a series of personal waits. Yoav in Jerusalem describes a strong response from voters. Noam in Tel Aviv says she spent half an hour in line and regarded the crowd as a sign of hope. Lia, also in Tel Aviv, emphasizes that the important thing is for everyone to vote. In Ramat Gan, Rona says her wait lasted about an hour, but was worth it.

The report says the elections committee instructed polling staff to speed up the process and not hold up voters because their identity cards had expired. It also highlights heavy participation in Ashkelon, Herzliya, Bnei Brak and Rahat.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns turnout into an appeal to his supporters. In a social-media message shown in the report, he says participation among Arab voters in southern Israel is far higher than among Jewish voters there, and urges people to cast their ballots. The footage also shows him voting alongside his wife, Sara.

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