The polling stations in the municipal elections closed on Tuesday evening at 10:00 p.m., and the counting of votes has begun.
The voter turnout, without the “double envelopes” which contain the votes of IDF soldiers and reservists, is 49%.
In cities where no candidate received a certain threshold of votes - commonly 40% - a second voting day will be held to decide between the leading candidates.
In the large cities, Bnei Brak leads the way with a voter turnout of 61.5%, Ashdod – 45.1%, Tel Aviv-Yafo – 40%, Haifa – 38.7% and Jerusalem with 30.8%.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel gave a speech following the closing of the polls at the election day headquarters and said, "I conclude with a sense of satisfaction the municipal elections that were held in the shadow of the war. Despite the difficult time we are going through - the residents of the country came out to vote and make an impact."
"This is a badge of honor for everyone who came to the polls, with the goal of shaping the face of the locality where they live in the next five years. Best wishes for success to all the candidates."
The main cities:
Jerusalem
In the mayoral elections of Jerusalem, which has 966,000 residents and 700,000 eligible voters, the incumbent mayor Moshe Lion and his deputy Yossi Havilio are running on behalf of the "Jerusalem Union", a party that unites the Yesh Atid, Meretz, and Labor parties.
Leon defeated Havilio by a significant margin, securing a second term in office. An absolute majority of the slates running for the city council have expressed their support for Lion.
Tel Aviv
Three candidates ran for mayor of Tel Aviv, which has about 470,000 residents. The prominent candidates are incumbent mayor Ron Huldai, who is interested in a sixth term in office, and former Economy Minister Orna Barbivai.
Businessman Yuval Zellner is also running for the position of mayor.
Preliminary results indicate that Huldai received about 50% of the votes, Barbivai received between 35% and 40% and Zellner between 10% and 15%.
Haifa
The city of Haifa is one of the localities with the largest number of candidates - 12. The prominent candidates are former Mayor Yona Yahav and the current mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem, David Etzioni who was the deputy mayor as well as Yaakov Borovsky who lost in the previous mayoral elections.
In Haifa, there will be a second round between Yahav, who won 35% of the votes, and Etzioni, who won 21.8%. Kalisch-Rotem won only 4.5% of the votes.
Gush Etzion
An initial count of the votes in Gush Etzion shows that candidate Yaron Rosenthal leads by a few votes over the current head of the council Shlomo Ne’eman.
At the same time, it should be noted that results have not yet arrived from prominent localities in the council.
Throughout the day, the police responded to several incidents and arrested 18 suspects and opened 62 cases of election fraud, threats and violence.
The police arrested a Beit Shemesh resident in his 20s, on suspicion of election bribery in the city. An investigation revealed that the suspect, who is an activist on behalf of a party contesting in the elections for mayor of Beit Shemesh, gathered votes from voters who chose not to vote, in return for payment for their vote.
Raz Kinstlich will remain mayor of Rishon Lezion. Ramat Gan mayor Carmel Shama has so far won 53.7% of the votes, with 63.8% of the votes counted.
Hanoch Zeibert won 59% of the votes in Bnei Brak, defeating Health Minister Uriel Buso. In Bnei Brak, the police arrested a 37-year-old man who came to vote at the polling station and identified himself using an identity card that apparently did not belong to him.
Ran Kunik was reelected for another term as mayor of Givatayim. In Herzliya, candidates Yariv Fischer and mayor Moshe Fadlon remain at 50.3% and 49.7% respectively as the double envelopes are counted.
Ariel will hold a second round of elections between former MK Oren Hazan and Yair Chetboun, who received 25.2% and 23.6% of the votes respectively. In Karnei Shomron, Yehonatan Kuznitz defeated incumbent Yigal Lahav.
Eliram Azoulai was elected as the governor of Mt. Hebron. Yossi Brodny was reelected as mayor of Givat Shmuel. Yisrael Bramson was elected as mayor of Kiryat Arba. Or Piron, daughter of the former Education Minister Shai Piron, was elected as governor of Oranit.
In Ganei Tikva, Lizy Delaricha has been reelected as mayor. In Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Haim Bibas ran unopposed and received 91.8% of the votes. In Elad, Yehuda Butbul defeated incumbent mayor Yisrael Porush. Meir Rubenstein was reelected as mayor of Beitar Illit. Yaakov Asher Gotterman ran unopposed for mayor of Modi'in Illit, wining approximately 80% of the votes. Gai Yifrach was elected as mayor of Maaleh Adumim.
Noam Joma’ah won the mayoral race in Beit She’an after his opponent, Jackie Levi, conceded. In Rehovot, incumbent mayor Rahamim Malul was defeated, and the city will hold a second round of elections between candidates Matan Dil and Zahar Blume. Miriam Feirberg was reelected as mayor of Netanya. Shai Kenan defeated the incumbent mayor of Holon, as well as several other candidates, to win 43.3% of the votes.
Yair Revivo was reelected as mayor of Lod. Ruvik Danilovich was reelected as mayor of Be'eri Sheva. The incumbent mayor of Ashdod, Yehiel Lasri, had achieved 48.4% of the votes after 71.7% had been counted.
Beit Shemesh will hold a second round of elections, with no candidate, including incumbent mayor Aliza Bloch, having achieved more than 40% of the votes.
Roi Gabbai was reelected as mayor of Yavneh. Nissim Gozlan was elected as mayor of Be'er Yaakov, after running unopposed.
Kiryat Gat will hold a second round of elections between incumbent Aviram Dahari and challengesr Kfir Suissa. Eliyahu Zohar was reelected as mayor of Kiryat Malachi. Michal Rozenstein defeated incumbent Yisrael Gal in Kiryat Ono. Yehiel Zohar was reelected as mayor of Netivot.
Rami Greenberg was reelected as mayor of Petah Tikva. Chaim Broyde was reelected as mayor of Ra'anana. Nir Ben-Haim was reelected as mayor of Hadera.
Ness Ziona mayor Shmuel Boxer will contend in a second round of elections after failing to garner sufficient votes to win outright. Pardes Hanna will hold a second round of elections between governor Hagar Peri and Yoni Chakimi. Yahud-Monosson will pulled a second round of elections after no candidate, including incumbent mayor Yaaleh Makelis, received sufficient votes to win outright. Ramleh will hold a second round of elections between incumbent mayor Michael Vidal and former mayor Yoel Lavi. Or Akiva will hold a second round of elections between incumbent mayor Simcha Yosifov and Eli Ankonika.
Ronen Plot was reelected as mayor of Nof Hagalil. Eli Dukorsky was reelected as mayor of Kiryat Bialik. Roi Levi was reelected as mayor of Nesher. Roman Peres, incumbent mayor of Yokneam Ilit, led challenger Leah Padidah with 61.8 of the votes after 51.6% had been counted. Yaakov Petetz was reelected as mayor of Kiryat Ata. Kiryat Motzkin saw anear-tied between incumbent Haim Tzuri and Tziki Avisar. Ohad Segev was elected asmayor of Acre. Ronen Marelly was reelected as mayor of Nahariyah after running unopposed.
Moshe Koninsky was reelected as mayor of Carmiel. Incumbent mayor Avii Elkabetz has received more than 40% of votes in Afula, although as the double envelopes have not yet been counted, he may still need to run in a second round of elections. David Even-Tzur has been reelected as mayor of Kiryat Yam. Yossi Kakon defeated the incumbent mayor of Tzfat, Shuki Ohana. Yaakov Ben-Haim was elected as mayor of Migdal Haemek. The previous mayor, Eli Barda, did not run.
Emek Hefer governor Galit Shaul has received 65.2% of the votes, with 44.1% having been counted so far. Yossi Dagan was reelected as governor of Samaria.
Tomer Glam has been reelected as mayor of Ashkelon. Raz Sagi has so far won 44.4% of the votes for mayor of Rosh Ha’ayin, and is expected to win without needing another round of elections.
Amir Kochavi was reelected as mayor of Hod Hasharon. Yitzchak Rochberger was elected as mayor of Ramat Hasharon. Kfar Saba mayor Rafi Saar leads challenger Hadar Lavi, although the results could still change as double envelopes are counted. Yosef Nava’a was elected as mayor of Tverya. Sahar Pinto leads the race in Gadera, with 45% of the votes after 28.1% of the ballots had been counted. Itzik Danino was reelected as mayor of Ofakim.
Nili Aharon was elected as governor of Yeruham. Dafna Ravid-Rabinovich was elected as governor of Shoham. Moti Ben-David was elected as mayor of Ma'alot-Tarshiha. Yoram Shimon was reelected as governor of Mevaseret Zion. Yair Ma’ayan was elected as mayor of Arad.
Eran Doron was reelected as governor of Ramat Negev. Rafik Halabi was reelected as governor of Daliyat al-Carmel. Samir Sobhi Mahamed was reelected as mayor of Umm al-Fahm. Talab Abu Arar was elected as mayor of Ar'ara. Boaz Shlomo was elected as governor of Lachish.