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Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969

חוק הבחירות לכנסת [נוסח משולב], תשכ"ט-1969

Published: 1969-04-14Last amended 2026-07-16✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter VIII: Election Results

Distribution of mandates§

81.
(a)Only candidate lists that have each received valid votes in a number not less than 3.25% (three and one-quarter per cent) of the total valid votes shall participate in the distribution of mandates.
(b)The total valid votes of all the lists participating in the distribution of mandates shall be divided by the number of members of the Knesset, and the whole number resulting from the division shall be the "quota".
(c)Each list participating in the distribution of mandates shall receive a number of mandates equal to the whole number resulting from the division of its valid votes by the quota.
(d)The mandates remaining after the distribution of mandates under subsection (c) shall be distributed among the lists participating in the distribution of mandates as follows:
(1)for each list a "list quota" shall be determined by dividing the number of valid votes it received by the number of mandates it received under subsection (c) plus one;
(2)the list that received the largest list quota shall receive an additional mandate; if two or more lists have equal list quotas, a draw conducted by the Central Committee shall determine which of them shall receive the additional mandate;
(3)the distribution under the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall continue until all mandates have been distributed, whereby for a list that received an additional mandate under paragraph (2) a new list quota shall be determined taking into account the additional mandate;
(4)a list that received no more than half of all the valid votes of all the lists participating in the distribution of mandates and that received half of all the mandates shall no longer participate in the distribution of mandates, and the distribution shall continue among the other lists.

Distribution of mandates in the case of allied lists§

82.
(a)Two candidate lists that have allied with each other shall be treated, for the purpose of the distribution of mandates under section 81(d), as a single list possessing the number of valid votes received by both of them together and the mandates received by both of them together, provided that each of them individually has received the percentage of votes prescribed in section 81(a).
(b)The mandates received by the two allied lists shall be distributed between them in accordance with the method of distribution prescribed in section 81 for the distribution of all mandates among all the lists.

Determination of members of the Knesset§

83.

Of a candidate list that has received mandates, the persons whose names appear at the top of the list, one after another, shall be members of the Knesset.

Publication of election results§

84.
(a)Upon completion of the counting of votes and within the period prescribed for that purpose in section 11 of Basic Law: The Knesset, the Central Committee shall publish in Reshumot (Official Gazette) the results of the elections; the notice shall specify—
(1)the number of valid votes cast for each of the candidate lists;
(2)the number of votes found to be invalid;
(3)the number of mandates received by each of the candidate lists;
(4)the names of the persons elected as members of the Knesset from each list.
(b)Subject to the provisions of section 86, a notice under this section shall be conclusive evidence of the distribution of mandates and of the election of the persons mentioned in the notice.
(c)The Central Committee shall furnish to each person elected a certificate signed by the chairperson of the Committee or two of the deputy chairpersons, certifying that the person has been elected a member of the Knesset.
85.§

(Repealed — תיקון מס' 31, 1996)

Election appeal§

86.
(a)Any member of the Central Elections Committee and of a regional elections committee, any faction of the elected Knesset and any member of the Knesset, any candidate list that was approved and participated in elections to the Knesset and any candidate who was included therein, as well as the Attorney General, may appeal against the results of the elections on the ground—
(1)that the elections as a whole or at a particular ballot box were not conducted in accordance with law, or that the distribution of votes among the candidate lists was not correct;
(2)that the mandates were not distributed in accordance with law;
(3)that votes cast for a particular candidate list were obtained unlawfully—

provided that the defect alleged is one that could have affected the results of the elections.

(a1)An election appeal under section 86 shall be heard as an administrative appeal in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Affairs Courts Law, subject to the provisions of this Law.
(b)The appeal shall be submitted to the Administrative Affairs Court in Jerusalem within 14 days from the date of publication of the election results; however, the court may, in special circumstances and for reasons that shall be recorded, extend the period; the court shall hear the appeal before three judges.
(c)The respondents in the appeal shall be the chairperson of the Central Elections Committee, the Minister of the Interior, and also the representative of a faction and the member of the Knesset to whom the appeal relates.
(d)The court may—
(1)annul the elections in their entirety or at a particular ballot box and order that they be held again at a date it shall fix;
(2)declare that a particular person was not elected as a member of the Knesset and that another person was elected;
(3)determine afresh the distribution of votes among the candidate lists, and accordingly declare the results of the elections.
(e)An appeal against the judgment of the Administrative Affairs Court may be brought before the Supreme Court on a point of law if leave to do so has been granted by the President of the Supreme Court; the appeal shall be submitted within thirty days from the date of delivery of the judgment.
(f)If the Administrative Affairs Court has decided to annul the elections in their entirety, any of those listed in subsection (a) may appeal against the judgment before the Supreme Court as of right and on any matter, even if the person was not a party to the proceedings before the Administrative Affairs Court, and the Supreme Court shall hear the appeal before five judges or a larger uneven number, as the President of the Supreme Court shall direct.
(g)(Repealed).
(h)An appeal under this section shall not impede the work of the Knesset, and the outcome of the appeal shall not derogate from the validity of the decisions adopted by it.

Elections following the allowing of an election appeal§

86a.
(a)Where the court has ordered that elections be held as provided in section 86(d)(1), the provisions of this Law shall apply with the necessary modifications as the Central Elections Committee serving at that time shall determine. The Central Elections Committee shall publish a notice in Reshumot (Official Gazette) and in any other manner it deems appropriate regarding the date of the repeat elections and the said modifications.
(b)The register of voters to be used in elections under this section shall be the register of voters that was prepared and came into effect for the elections whose results are the subject of the appeal from which arose the aforesaid, less the voters who have died.

Replacement of candidates§

87.
(a)A candidate may resign at any time; the resignation shall be submitted by the candidate in person in writing, or sent from abroad by telegram or by another document authenticated by an Israeli consul or by a notary, to the chairperson of the Central Committee, and if the Speaker of the Knesset has already been elected—to the Speaker of the Knesset; an advance letter of resignation is void.
(a1)(Repealed).
(b)If a candidate resigns or dies after the publication of the candidate lists and before election day, the Central Committee shall publish a notice thereof in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Parliamentary immunity§

88.
(a)From the end of election day, elected members shall enjoy parliamentary immunity; an elected member who is held in detention or under imprisonment shall be released immediately after the publication of the election results, however if the detention or imprisonment was on account of a felony, the member shall be released—if not released earlier by the competent authorities—fourteen days after the opening of the Knesset, unless the Knesset has in the meantime decided to strip the member of immunity.
(b)A candidate who becomes a member of the Knesset after election day shall enjoy parliamentary immunity from the day on which the candidate becomes a member of the Knesset; if on that day the member is held in detention or under imprisonment, the member shall be released immediately, however if the detention or imprisonment was on account of a felony, the member shall be released—if not released earlier by the competent authorities—fourteen days after the day on which the member became a member of the Knesset, unless the Knesset has in the meantime decided to strip the member of immunity.

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Chapter IX: Elections among Soldiers and Police Officers

Definitions§

89.

In this Chapter –

"soldiers" – soldiers serving in regular service under the Defence Service Law, in permanent service or in active reserve service of the Israel Defence Forces, including soldiers aboard vessels of the Israel Defence Forces that are outside an Israeli port on election day, as well as those serving in the Police Force and the Prison Service.

"army camp" – including an outpost and any other area and place designated exclusively for the Israel Defence Forces.

Ballot boxes for soldiers§

90.
(a)Soldiers may vote at special ballot boxes for soldiers; the chairperson of the Central Committee shall determine the locations of these ballot boxes on the recommendation of the Chief of the General Staff or the Chief of Staff's representative, and a notice of these locations shall be published in the place and manner prescribed by Regulations.
(b)A soldier wishing to vote at a ballot box for soldiers is not restricted to a particular ballot box.
(c)Voting at ballot boxes for soldiers shall take place at the times prescribed by or under Regulations and may be held during the 168 hours ending at the latest time for the close of voting on election day as referred to in section 72 (in this subsection—the time of closing of the ballot boxes), provided that the fixing of voting times that commence before the 72 hours ending at the time of closing of the ballot boxes shall require the consent of the chairperson of the Central Committee and the chairperson's deputies.
(d)During voting hours no person shall be present at the location of a ballot box for soldiers other than members of the Central Committee, members of the polling committee, a representative of the Chief of the General Staff or the Chief of Staff's representative, voters who have been permitted to enter for the purpose of voting, the Minister of the Interior or the Minister's representative, soldiers required in the opinion of the polling committee for the maintenance of order, and employees of the Central Committee who are required to be present at the ballot box location for the purpose of performing their duties and who are performing tasks or functions of the type prescribed by the chairperson of the Central Committee in rules as referred to in section 73a.
(e)The polling committees for soldiers shall be appointed by the Chief of the General Staff or a person the Chief of Staff has authorised for that purpose; the committee shall consist of two members who are soldiers in compulsory service whose rank is not higher than that of corporal first class, soldiers in regular service whose rank is not higher than that of sergeant major first class, or soldiers in reserve service whose rank is not higher than that of senior sergeant major; the soldier holding the highest rank shall serve as chairperson of the polling committee.

Voting by soldiers§

91.
(a)A soldier wishing to vote at a ballot box for soldiers must identify himself or herself as provided in section 74 or by means of the soldier's military identity card, or the police officer's identity card, or the prison officer's identity card.
(b)A soldier voting at a ballot box for soldiers shall place the envelope referred to in sections 74a and 75(a) inside a second envelope, and the polling committee shall indicate on the face of the outer envelope the voter's name, the voter's population registry identity number, and such other particulars as have been prescribed by Regulations.
(b1)A police officer who voted at a ballot box for soldiers as aforesaid and identified himself or herself by means of identification as provided in section 74 shall present to the chairperson of the polling committee the certificate issued to the officer under section 95(a).
(c)The counting of votes of those who voted at ballot boxes for soldiers shall be as prescribed by Regulations.
(d)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), the Minister of the Interior may, in consultation with the Minister of Defence and with the consent of the chairperson of the Central Committee and the chairperson's deputies, issue directions regarding the means of identification of soldiers located in areas designated for this purpose, in consultation and with consent as aforesaid, and regarding the marking that shall attest that the soldier has voted for the Knesset; the designation of areas and the said directions shall be brought to the attention of those concerned in the manner the Minister of the Interior deems appropriate, in consultation and with consent as aforesaid; such directions do not require publication in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Electioneering among soldiers§

92.
(a)Written election propaganda is permitted among soldiers as among non-soldiers, however—
(1)no propaganda shall be directed at soldiers only;
(2)no propaganda material shall be posted or hung in a military camp except as provided in subsection (b).
(b)A representative of a candidate list may submit to the Central Committee the name, address and telephone number of the list, and these shall be published in IDF camps in the place and manner to be determined by the chairperson of the Central Committee and the chairperson's deputies in consultation with the Minister of Defence or the Minister's representative.
(c)Oral public election propaganda, in all its forms, is prohibited in a military camp.
(d)During the last two months before election day, no information activities shall take place in military camps except on military, technical or scientific subjects and except for Hebrew language lessons.

Leave for soldiers§

93.

The General Staff shall direct that, to the extent militarily possible, leave shall be granted to soldiers so as to enable them to participate in election meetings.

Visits to Military Camps§

94.

The Chairperson of the Central Committee, or a member of the Committee authorised by it for that purpose, may, subject to conditions set by the Committee, visit any military camp in order to examine whether the provisions of this Law have been complied with therein.

Voting by Police Officers§

95.
(a)A police officer may vote at any polling station in the manner in which the secretary of the polling committee votes at a polling station under section 116r, provided that the officer has identified himself or herself before the secretary of the polling committee by means of his or her police identity document, or has identified himself or herself by a means of identification listed in section 74 and has presented to the secretary of the polling committee another document issued to him or her by the Central Elections Committee.
(b)(Repealed).
(c)(Repealed).
(d)(Repealed).
(e)(Repealed).
(f)(Repealed).
(g)In this section, "police officer" – includes an employee of the General Security Service.

Voting by Certain Employees§

95a.

The Minister of the Interior, in consultation with the Minister of Defence and with the consent of the Chairperson of the Central Committee together with his or her deputies, may issue instructions, whether by Regulations or otherwise, regarding all matters relating to the voting arrangements of persons who are present on election day in areas designated for the purposes of this section by the Minister of the Interior, in consultation and with consent as aforesaid, within the territories held by the Israel Defence Forces, and who are employees of the Israel Defence Forces or other employees employed in those areas; the said instructions shall be brought to the attention of those concerned in a manner that the Minister of the Interior sees fit, in consultation and with consent as aforesaid; the said instructions do not require publication in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Voting by Persons Held in Military Custody Who Are Not Soldiers§

95b.

The Minister of the Interior, in consultation with the Minister of Defence and with the consent of the Chairperson of the Central Committee together with his or her deputies, may make Regulations or issue instructions regarding all matters relating to the voting arrangements of persons who are lawfully held on election day in the custody of the army and who are not soldiers; the said instructions shall be brought to the attention of those concerned in a manner that the Minister of the Interior sees fit, in consultation and with consent as aforesaid.

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