Voting for Israel's 26th Knesset Kicks Off Abroad at Diplomatic Missions
Voting for Israel's 26th Knesset begins tomorrow at diplomatic missions worldwide, starting in Wellington and concluding on the US West Coast. New York expects nearly 1,000 voters.
Two weeks ahead of the upcoming legislative elections in Israel, voting for the 26th Knesset will kick off tomorrow (Thursday) at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide. At Israel's Consulate General in New York, headed by Consul General Ofir Akunis, hundreds of Israeli emissaries and their spouses are expected to cast their ballots, including consulate personnel, Israel's Permanent Mission to the UN, the Ministry of Defense procurement delegation, and Jewish Agency emissaries.
"Tomorrow we will hold a celebration of democracy at Israel's Consulate General in New York, the largest diplomatic mission in the world," Akunis stated. "From 9:00 AM until 8:00 PM, nearly 1,000 emissaries will vote here, led by consulate staff, the Ministry of Defense procurement delegation, the UN mission, and Jewish Agency representatives."
Security and Global Voting Process
Akunis also addressed the anti-Israel demonstrations in New York, sharply criticizing the protesters: "Needless to say, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where democratic elections are held. All the protesters and ranters here in the city against Israel prefer countries without democracy or, even worse, terrorist organizations, which demonstrates their absolute ignorance."
Voting in New York will begin at 9:00 AM local time and close at 8:00 PM. Three polling stations will be opened at the UN mission building, serving more than 700 eligible voters. Consequently, the New York mission is expected to be the busiest polling hub among Israel's overseas representations.
The first diplomatic mission to open its ballot boxes will be Israel's embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, while the final ones will be located in Los Angeles and San Francisco on the West Coast of the United States.
Secure Transport and Ballots Counting
The Central Election Committee will establish a special control center to monitor the opening and closing of polling stations across global missions and handle exceptional incidents. Once voting concludes, the ballot boxes will be transferred to Israel via diplomatic mail and securely centralized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. From there, they will be transferred under heavy security to the Knesset's election committee security room. The counting of overseas votes will take place on election night, October 27.
"In such a significant period for the State of Israel on both the domestic and diplomatic fronts, the Knesset elections are a defining event with monumental implications for the country's future. I call upon Israeli citizens to go out, vote, and make an impact." — Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon.
