Israel’s Election Committee Rejects Extension of Nationwide Voting Hours

Israel’s Central Elections Committee rejected a request on October 27 to keep polling stations nationwide open beyond the scheduled 10 p.m. closing time for the election to the 26th Knesset. A local exception applied in Hebron, where voting was extended until 10 p.m. following a power outage. The committee said that “under the current circumstances, there is no justification for extending voting hours.” It pointed to high participation across sectors and said it had not identified a need for a general extension. Voters who reach their polling station before its closing time can still vote, even if they must wait in line. Likud submitted the extension request through lawyer Ilan Bombach to the committee’s chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg. The party cited reports of unusually long queues and said rain was making access to polling stations harder. It argued that extra time could reduce congestion and keep voters from losing their opportunity to cast a ballot. Earlier on October 27, acting committee director Din Livne issued instructions aimed at shortening queues while maintaining voter identification and voting integrity. Staff were instructed to start identifying the next voter while another was behind the voting screen, deal with additional individual inquiries separately, and continue admitting voters while envelopes were being signed. Those instructions also reaffirmed that arriving by the scheduled closing time preserves a voter’s right to vote despite a queue.