Israeli Soldiers Begin Voting at More Than 850 Military Polling Stations

Israeli soldiers began casting ballots for the 26th Knesset on Wednesday, the IDF announced, nearly a week before the October 27 election. More than 850 military polling stations have been set up at bases and outposts and will stay open until polls close on Election Day, "subject to operational requirements," so every soldier in mandatory or reserve service can vote. JNS reports the stations cover every operational arena, including the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, and many of them are mobile. Ynetnews puts the mobile share at a quarter.

"Our mission is to enable all IDF service members to exercise their democratic right to vote by secret ballot, including during operational activities and combat beyond the border. The IDF is an apolitical people's army that will do everything necessary to ensure that the elections are held as scheduled," said IDF Elections Officer Col. Vered Ben-Yehuda, according to JNS. In a statement reported by The Jerusalem Post, she put it this way: "The IDF is a national, state-oriented army that will do everything necessary to ensure the elections proceed as planned."

An Israeli military official told JNS last week that regular soldiers and active reservists may vote at either military or civilian polling stations. A double-envelope system checks eligibility and prevents anyone from voting twice. Hundreds of election officers and about 3,000 soldiers trained as polling committee members will run the voting, with a four-member committee at each station.

The army is also tightening security around the vote. The Jerusalem Post reports IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced on Monday a leave restriction for all units, effective Thursday, that could last through the election. Zamir said the IDF is adding troops across many units and brigades, especially in Judea and Samaria, and that the army's mission is to make sure democratic elections take place safely and on schedule. On Monday, Col. Ben Yehuda wrote that commanders must act so every service member can vote "while upholding the non-partisan, state-oriented character of the IDF and strictly maintaining the integrity of the election process."

Israel keeps strict limits on early voting, and soldiers and diplomats are the exception, JNS notes. About 4,800 diplomats and their families began voting on October 15. Ynetnews reports about 7.3 million Israelis are registered to vote, including 810,000 living overseas. This is the country's first national election since the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023, and the multi-front war that followed.