Israel National News announces all night election coverage, including a live TV broadcast and an up-to-the-minute election results page.
More than half -- 59.7 percent -- of all Israelis who were eligible to vote in this year's national election had cast their ballots by 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, announced the Central Elections Committee. Polls were scheduled to close at 10:00 p.m.
The turnout was three percent higher than the number of voters who had gone to cast their ballots by the same hour of the day in 2006, when only 63.5 percent of Israel's eligible citizens exercised their right to choose a leader. The higher numbers dispelled the gloomy predictions that voter apathy combined with stormy weather might leave the ballot boxes empty at the 9,263 polling stations around the nation.
Hurricane-force winds, driving rain and in some cases even hail whipped across the countryside, prompting party volunteers to make calls and in some cases offer to drive voters to the polls.
Ichud Leumi (National Union) chairman Yaakov "Ketzeleh" Katz, who cast his vote in his home community of Beit El in Samaria, said he considered the rain a good sign. "These rains are a blessing that portends a deluge of votes for the National Union," he commented. "Our public is invigorated, not deterred, by the rain."
All the party leaders cast their ballots early in the day, including Binyamin Netanyahu, Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak, Avigdor Lieberman, Eli Yishai, Rabbi Michael Melchior, Ephraim Sneh and others who hoped to encourage others by their example to get and out vote. Israelis were presented with a selection of 33 factions to choose from.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert cast his ballot in Jerusalem, but had no comment for the media.
Central Elections Committee chairman Judge Eliezer Rivlin told reporters that he would prefer to see a higher voter turnout for what he called the "celebration of democracy." He added that it had been "a boring day," however, which he said was "a positive thing."