Israel’s national elections for the 18th Knesset are only a week away.
*** The Central Elections Committee announced on Monday night the vote-sharing agreements entered into by the various parties. Any two parties may conclude such an agreement, which stipulates a complex formula by which excess votes from one party can be used by the other party to receive another Knesset mandate. Both parties must pass the minimum 2% threshold in order for the agreement to take effect.
The following party-pairs have signed vote-sharing agreements:
National Union – Jewish Home
Shas - United Torah Judaism
Likud - Yisrael Beiteinu
Kadima – Greens
Strong Israel (Ephraim Sneh) – Meimad/Green Movement
Labor – Meretz/New Left
Hadash - Ra'am-Ta'al
Pensioners – Youth
*** Voters from Gush Katif who have not yet changed their official address will be allowed to vote only in Tel Aviv, at Polling Station 990. The special arrangements that were in effect for the last election allowing them to vote in special polling stations for the handicapped were not renewed, as announced three months ago. An Election Committee official informed Israel National News that only 405 former Gush Katif residents have not yet changed their addresses.
*** Though each polling station comes equipped with ballot slips for each party, there are times when the slips for a particular party may have run out – unintentionally or otherwise. In such cases, a voter may take a blank slip of paper, which also is supplied, and write in the Hebrew letter or letters assigned to that party; the party name alone is not sufficient.
*** For more information on voting regulations, click here.
*** Once again, as occurred during the last election campaign, the Central Elections Committee has disqualified part of a television ad for the Shas Party. The unacceptable section features Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef blessing Shas voters. Election laws forbid promising a blessing in exchange for one’s vote.