Israelis are heading to the polls Tuesday to vote in what many say could be one of the most consequential elections in the country’s 78-year history.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving leader, his party, and his governing coalition have been locked in a tight contest in the country’s first election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault that ignited Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
Every party creates a ranked list of its candidates, and voters choose a party or slate. The leader of the party with the most votes could become the country’s next prime minister — though it is not automatic — if that candidate can form a government, but the parliamentary system is complicated and involves extensive negotiations.
Here’s what to know.
What happens on Election Day?
Election Day is a public holiday in Israel, with schools, government offices, and many public services closed. In most of the country, polls are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. local time and close at 10 p.m., with hours slightly reduced in some small communities, hospitals, and prisons.
Voters are assigned to a polling station near their registered residence and may vote only at that location. There are exceptions for soldiers, people with limited mobility, and prisoners, among others.
All Israeli citizens 18 or older who are registered to vote may do so with a valid identification. Israel’s Arab citizens, who make up about 20 percent of the population, could play a significant role in the vote, depending on turnout.
Unlike many democracies, Israel does not have a postal or proxy voting system, and most citizens cannot cast an absentee vote from abroad.
What’s on the ballot?
Israel’s electoral system uses nationwide proportional representation. Elections to the Knesset, Israel’s 120-seat parliament, are held at least every four years, though they can happen more often. In 2022, Israeli elections were held for the fifth time in three years after the Knesset dissolved itself.
Israelis cast a single ballot for a list of candidates affiliated with a party. A party receives a number of seats proportional to the national vote it got. To gain a place in parliament, however, a party must receive at least 3.25 percent of the valid votes. About 10 parties are expected to clear that electoral threshold.
Official election results are expected by Nov. 4.
How is a government formed?
No single party has ever won a majority of votes, which means parties must form factions and party leaders try to forge a governing coalition of at least 61 lawmakers.
Within seven days of the official election results being announced, Israel’s president, who plays a mostly symbolic role, meets with elected representatives of the parliamentary factions.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will assign a member of the Knesset — usually the leader of the party or faction that has won the most seats — to form a government. That candidate then has 28 days to negotiate with other factions and forge alliances to form a government, which must be approved by the Knesset in a vote of confidence. That person can request a 14-day extension to the deadline.
If that effort fails, the president can select another candidate who also has 28 days to try to form a government. If that second attempt fails, a majority of Knesset members can ask the president to have a third candidate try. That person would be granted 14 days to form a government, and if that fails, new elections would be announced
If a candidate who has been selected to form a government can propose one, along with a policy agenda, and their proposal wins a plurality of votes in the Knesset, the government is formally invested, and that candidate becomes the prime minister. Technically, the law allows for a minority government if the relative majority supporting it is larger than the minority opposing, but governments established after elections have almost always enjoyed the confidence of a majority of Knesset members, at least 61.
Historically, it has taken about 20 to 100 days to form a government, and no government has been sworn in less than 50 days after an election, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Israel.
Who are the top contenders?
Different polls in the week before the election have suggested different outcomes, which is “very problematic for political scientists,” said Assaf Shapira, who heads political research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Israel.
Many Israelis consider this election to be a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership. Netanyahu and his Likud party, and their hard-right allies, are in a close race with Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff who heads the opposition coalition led by the Yashar party and has emerged as Netanyahu’s top challenger.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.