Municipal Elections in Israel 2024 – Can I vote?
The 2024 Israeli municipal elections are just around the corner, and will take place on February 27th, 2024.
Before dismissing the idea of elections, thinking that you or your partner have no right to vote in Israel and would rather just go together to the beach, keep on reading and you might be surprised!
TL;DR: A5 visa holders are eligible to vote! Read on to make sure you appear on the voters list so you don’t miss out on your chance to vote for technical reasons!
Who has the right to vote in municipal elections in Israel?
To be able to vote in the elections in your locality (municipality, local council or regional council), you must meet the following conditions:
- Be 17 years old or older
- Be an Israeli resident/citizen with an Israeli ID
- Have your address correctly registered in the population registry
- Appear in the voters registry on September 14th
- Not having been registered as a voter in a different municipality that held elections within the 18 months preceding election day.
You may be wondering whether A5 visa holders have the right to vote – the answer to that is YES! A5 visa holders are Israeli residents and can vote in the municipal elections where they live (if they meet the rest of the conditions).
What is the voters registry?
The voters registry is a list that includes the last name, first name, father’s or mother’s name, the address and the identity number (Teudat Zehut number) in the population registry, of those who have the right to vote in a local authority.
The voter register is “pulled” from the population registry (PIBA) twice:
- First retrieval of the voters registry in the local authority elections – on June 4, 2023, i.e. 150 days before the elections’ original date (which was October 2023).
- Second retrieval of voters registry, the one that determines the eligibility to vote – Thursday, 14/09/2023.
Note! The voters lost retrieval date didn’t change, despite the elections being postponed due to the war. If you didn’t appear in the voters registry on September 2023, you won’t be able to vote in the elections of February 2024.
How can I make sure my name appears in the registry?
That’s a good question!
As the final registry in not finalized yet, you can check whether you appear on the first registry as it was retrieved from PIBA on June 4th, in the following methods:
- Automatic WhatsApp bot (recommended) – Message 053-3801464 (or use the link), input your ID number and ID issuing date (appears on the ID) and the bot will tell you your designated polling station.
- Call center (human): 1-800-101975 or 073-2458 358 or 077-9790060
- Hours of operation: Sunday-Thursday 8:00-16:00, Friday 8:30-12:30
- The service will be provided in Hebrew, Arabic, English, Russian and Amharic.
- Call center (Automatic 24/7): 077-9790060
- Automatic SMS bot: message 053-3801464
If you weren’t an Israeli resident on June 4th, or you moved and changed your address, you cannot get updated information about your appearance in the registry in those methods (the current list is based on the June registry, which is the non final registry).
If you were a resident on June 4th, you input your correct ID number and ID issuing date and still cannot see your polling station, it means something is wrong. We suggest contacting PIBA asap to make sure you appear in the population registry correctly.
Important! The polling stations may change closer to the election. Make sure to confirm your polling station closer to election day.
I moved and need to change my address
If you moved, you will only be able to vote for your new municipality if you’ve updated your registered address at PIBA before September 14th, 2023.
The date on which the final voters registry is retrieved is September 14, 2023. Address changes that will be approved by the Population and Immigration Authority by this date, will be included in the final voters registry of the local authority.
Residents and citizens whose address has changed must update it in the population registry in time, so they can vote at a polling place near their new place of residence.
Important! Address change of international couples who are doing the partner visa process will lead to change of your designated PIBA office and may affect your gradual process.
Read the full information about the address change procedure and required documentation on PIBA’s website.
Voter’s Notice
The voter’s notice is a personal paper that is sent via post, no later than the 21 day before election day, to all those who have the right to vote in the elections.
The voter’s notice is sent to your address as it appears in the voters registry. It includes your full name, address, the election date, the polling station address and station number, and the accessibility options of your polling station.
If you didn’t get your voter’s notice – it’s ok, you can vote without it, and get the relevant information about your polling station in one of the ways listed above.
It’s election day! What happens now?
We recommend taking the time to read, investigate and discuss the voting options with your partner and other people, so you can make an educated vote that you believe it!
Time to vote!
Arrive at your designated polling station any time between 7:00 and 22:00. Pay attention that some polling stations have several ballot boxes – make sure you find the correct one that you were assigned to.
In order to vote, you will need to identify yourself to the ballot committee, with any of the following Israeli identification documents that include your picture:
- Israeli ID (Teudat Zehut) – you don’t have to show the Sefach.
- Valid Israeli passport
- Valid Israeli driver’s license
- Valid military ID
- Valid Israeli Laissez-Passer (Teudat Maavar)
Step-by-step guide for casting your vote at the polling station
- Give your ID to the committee
- The head of the committee will give you two envelopes – a yellow one (for the mayor), and a white one (for the municipal council). An additional blue envelope will be given to residents of rural area that have a local board.
- Go into the voting booth alone – Pay attention, lack of Hebrew knowledge does not constitute a reason to be escorted into the voting booth with someone else.
- Pick a yellow ballot for your preferred head of the municipality, and a white ballot for your preferred party for city council, and put them in their corresponding envelopes.
Note – you can choose to leave any of the envelopes or both empty. - Choose whether to seal the envelopes or not.
- Exit the booth and drop your envelopes into the ballot box!
- Your vote is cast!
- Don’t forget to take your ID back.
For additional information about the voting process, please visit the official explanation on the elections portal.
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Are these your/your partners first elections in Israel? On election day please take some pictures and tag us on your Instagram story!
For the official information about the Israeli municipal elections, please visit the official elections portal.
