Arab voter (archive)
Arab voter (archive)Roy Alima/Flash90

Fewer Israeli-Arab voters will turn out to vote in next month's election, a new poll shows, reversing a recent trend of rising Arab voter participation rates.

According to a Kann News report, a poll orchestrated by the Meretz and Joint Arab List parties indicates a significant drop-off in voter turnout among Arab-Israelis as compared to previous election rounds.

The two parties said they are planning an intensive campaign in the Arab sector to get residents to the voting booths on election day.

Arab voter turnout soared in the last few election cycles, closing the gap with Israeli Jewish voters.

Just 49% of eligible Israeli-Arab voters participated in the first round of voting in April 2019, but that figure jumped to 59% in the second election, in September.

In the third election, in March 2020, an estimated 65% of eligible Israeli-Arab voters turned out to vote, compared to an overall voter turnout rate of 71%.

The Joint Arab List was the primary beneficiary of the increased Arab voter turnout, rising to 15 seats. Current polls show the party plummeting to between eight to ten seats.