Electoral System

General features

Israel is a sole electoral district. Absentee vote is not allowed, except for those working abroad for the State, and their families, who vote in a fixed day approximately a week in advance. Soldiers, hospital and prison staff, patients and inmates can all vote the election’s day in mobile ballot boxes. Only registered parties can present a list of candidates in the elections. Each party receives a number of seats in the Parliament proportional to its electoral strength, for this is required to pass a qualifying threshold of 3,25% of the votes. The 120 Knesset seats are distributed using the D’Hont method taking into account the surplus votes agreements. In Israel two parties can agree before the elections to share their excess votes, agreement they have to communicate to the Central Elections Committee. 

Elected institutions