At 10:00 p.m. tonight, polling stations across Israel will close, and television channels will publish their first exit polls. But the numbers that appear on screens are not the final results, and the political race may remain open even after studio commentators declare the initial picture.
Some polling stations in small communities with up to 350 eligible voters, as well as special stations in hospitals, prisons and nursing homes close as early as 8:00 p.m. After the polls close, vote counting begins, and results are transmitted to local election committees and from there to the Central Elections Committee.
Television exit polls are based on voting at pre-selected polling stations and represent a statistical estimate of election results. They do not include a count of all votes, so results may shift as additional data arrives.
The gap is especially significant when parties are near the electoral threshold or when the race between blocs is tight. A difference of one or two seats could alter the balance of power in the Knesset, so even an exit poll that looks clear at the start of the night does not guarantee that will be the final outcome.
Throughout the night, additional results will arrive from polling stations, and the data will be updated as vote counting progresses. In the coming days, counting of double envelopes will continue, these include votes from soldiers, hospitalized patients, prisoners and other voters who cast ballots at special polling stations.
