The presidium of the Central Elections Committee decided Tuesday evening to reject the request to extend voting hours in the elections for the 26th Knesset. As a result, polling stations across the country will close as scheduled at 10:00 p.m.
The decision came after the Likud Party appealed to Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, requesting an extension of polling station hours due to exceptional congestion and long lines reported throughout Election Day.
Shas and Otzma Yehudit joined Likud's request, while the Yashar Party expressed strong opposition to the move.
The original request was submitted by attorney Ilan Bombach, who argued that prolonged waiting times at polling stations could prevent citizens from exercising their right to vote before the scheduled closing time.
"Throughout Election Day, reports have been received of exceptionally heavy congestion, described as unprecedented, and long lines at polling stations across the country, resulting in prolonged waiting times and raising genuine concern that many citizens will not be able to exercise their right to vote before the polling stations close," the appeal stated.
Likud argued that as the closing time approaches, voters might decide not to leave their homes out of concern that they would not have enough time to cast their ballots. The party also pointed to rainy weather as a factor making it more difficult for voters to reach polling stations.
The letter argued that extending voting hours would spread the flow of voters over a longer period and reduce waiting times.
"We cannot accept a situation in which citizens forgo their constitutional right to vote simply because they believe they will not have enough time to reach a polling station and cast their ballot," the appeal stated.
Attorney Bombach further emphasized that "every vote not cast because of concern that there will not be enough time to vote is a vote that cannot be recovered once the polling stations close."
The Otzma Yehudit Party announced that it was joining Likud's request.
"The Otzma Yehudit Party joins Likud's request to extend voting beyond 10:00 p.m., in light of the congestion and exceptionally long waiting times at polling stations," the party stated.
The Shas movement also requested that voting hours be extended by an additional hour.
"Due to the exceptional congestion recorded at polling stations, Shas joins Likud's demand to extend voting hours by one hour," the party announced.
The Yashar Party, however, opposed the request, arguing that no exceptional event had occurred to justify changing the voting hours established in advance.
"No exceptional event has occurred that would justify approving the request, which is intended to lay the groundwork for allegations challenging the integrity of the elections," the party stated.
The decision came amid exceptionally high voter turnout throughout Election Day.
According to Central Elections Committee figures, 66.7% of eligible voters had cast their ballots by 6:00 p.m., compared to 57.7% at the same hour in the previous elections.
A total of 4,892,106 citizens had voted by that hour. The Elections Committee noted that the number of voters had already surpassed the total number who voted in the previous elections.