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Regional Councils (Date of General Elections) Law, 5754-1994

חוק המועצות האזוריות (מועד בחירות כלליות), תשנ"ד-1994

Published: 1994-07-15Last amended 2026-01-18✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-08
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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.

Definitions§

1.

In this Law –

"regional council" means a local council established under section 1 of the Local Councils Ordinance and constituted as a regional council;

"elections" means elections to the council of the regional council, to the head of the regional council and to the local committees of the settlements of the regional council;

"the Committee" means the Interior and Environmental Quality Committee of the Knesset;

"local authority" means a municipality or a local council;

"the Minister" means the Minister of the Interior.

Date of the First Elections§

2.

The first elections to a regional council after its constitution shall be held within sixty days of the end of four years from the constitution of the council, on a date to be set by the Minister; however, the Minister may, after consultation with the Committee, postpone the date of the first elections to a regional council to such other date as the Minister shall set, if the Minister is satisfied that, due to special circumstances, it is not possible to hold the elections on their due date; if the Minister has postponed the date of the first elections in a regional council under this section and the circumstances justifying the postponement have ceased to exist, the Minister shall set a new date for the first elections in that regional council that is as close as possible to the time after the reason for not holding the elections on their due date has passed.

Date of Elections for All Regional Councils§

3.

Elections for all regional councils shall be held every five years on the date on which general elections are held as referred to in section 4 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law, 5725-1965 (hereinafter – the Local Authorities (Elections) Law).

Postponement of the Date of Elections§

4.
(a)If the Minister is satisfied that it is impossible to hold elections on their due date in a particular regional council, or if there are special circumstances which, in the Minister's opinion, justify their postponement, or if elections were not held on their due date, the Minister shall, after consultation with the Committee, set a new date for the elections that is as close as possible to the time after the reason for not holding the elections on their due date has passed and no later than the date of the next elections for the regional councils under section 3.
(b)If the last elections to a particular regional council were held after the date on which the last elections for the regional councils were held under section 3, the Minister may, after consultation with the Committee, direct that the next elections for that regional council shall not be held on the date of the next elections for the regional councils under that section but rather on a later date.
(c)The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) shall apply to elections for a particular local committee without the Minister's consultation with the Committee, with the necessary modifications.

Voting by Security Forces and Voting in Prisons, Detention Facilities and Hospitals§

4a.

The provisions of Chapters VIII, VIII1, VIII3 and VIII4 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to elections for all regional councils as referred to in section 3.

Polling Committees§

4a1.
(a)A polling committee shall include no more than three members on behalf of candidates for head of the council; the composition of the polling committee shall be determined in a manner that ensures adequate representation in all polling committees for all such candidates.
(b)The provisions of section 32(h) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to payment to a member of a polling committee on behalf of a candidate for head of the council.
4b.§

(Repealed — תיקון מס' 9, 2017)

Bringing Forward of Elections due to Amalgamation of Local Authorities§

4c.
(a)In this section, "amalgamation of local authorities" means any of the following:
(1)a constitution Order under section 1 of the Local Councils Ordinance, the subject of which is the constitution of a regional council in place of a number of local authorities;
(2)the extension of the area of a regional council under section 7 of the Local Councils Ordinance.
(b)
(1)If the Minister has declared an amalgamation of local authorities, the Minister may, with the approval of the Government and after consultation with the Interior and Environmental Quality Committee of the Knesset, set a date for elections in the regional council that was amalgamated that is earlier than the date of the elections fixed for each of the local authorities that were amalgamated, provided that the date to be set shall fall after the expiry of three years from the later of the dates of the last elections held in each of those local authorities.
(2)The request for consultation referred to in paragraph (1) shall be submitted no later than six months before the date of the elections proposed by the Minister.
(3)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), in special circumstances and with the approval of the Interior and Environmental Quality Committee of the Knesset, the Minister may set a date for elections that falls before three years have elapsed from the date of the last elections, as aforesaid.
(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), if the Minister has declared an amalgamation of local authorities as referred to in paragraph (2) of the definition of "amalgamation of local authorities" in subsection (a), and in the course of such amalgamation the Minister declared under section 3 of the Local Councils Ordinance that a certain area that was administered on the eve of the declaration by a local council (in this subsection – the former council) shall be administered by a local committee, the Minister may determine that the date of elections for the regional council that was amalgamated shall be the date fixed for elections under section 3, and may also set a date for elections for the local committee that was established or for the representative of the area on the council, which shall fall before three years have elapsed from the date of the last elections for the former council.

Petition Concerning Elections§

4d.
(a)A person who considers themselves directly aggrieved by a decision on electoral matters given by the elections administrator under this Law, under the Local Councils Ordinance or under an Order made by virtue of section 2 of the Local Councils Ordinance, and in respect of which no other provisions for a petition against it have been prescribed in legislation, as well as any council member and any member of an elections committee of a council, may petition the Administrative Affairs Court within the meaning of the Administrative Affairs Courts Law, 5760-2000 (in this section – the Administrative Affairs Court), against such a decision; the filing of a petition under this subsection shall not stay the execution of the decision against which the petition was filed.
(b)A petition referred to in subsection (a) shall be filed within seven days of the date on which the decision against which the petition was filed was given, or of the date of the elections, whichever is earlier; the elections administrator and any interested party shall be respondents to the petition.
(c)The Administrative Affairs Court shall give its decision on a petition under this section as soon as possible, having regard to the circumstances of the matter, and no later than seven days from the date of the filing of the petition, and its decision shall be final.

Election Day for All Regional Councils – Day of Rest and Right to Pay§

4e.

The provisions of section 97b of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of election day for all regional councils as referred to in section 3.

Prevention of Participation in Elections§

4f.

The provisions under sections 39a to 39d of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of elections.

Suspension from Service§

4g.

The provisions of section 42b of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of candidates in elections.

Election Propaganda§

4h.

The provisions of Chapter VII of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of elections.

Offences§

4i.
(a)The offences under sections 85, 85a and 86 to 93 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply in respect of elections with the following modifications:
(1)in section 85, instead of "representatives of candidate lists as referred to in section 28(c), observers as referred to in section 34(e)" there shall be read "observers designated under the Local Councils Ordinance";
(2)in section 86 –
(a)in subsection (a)(7), instead of "under section 64" there shall be read "under the Local Councils Ordinance";
(b)in subsection (b), instead of "a representative of a candidate list as referred to in section 28(c), an observer as referred to in section 34(e)" there shall be read "an observer designated under the Local Councils Ordinance";
(3)in section 88, wherever it appears, after "a particular candidate list" there shall be read "or a particular candidate";
(4)in section 90(3), after "more than one envelope" there shall be read "for the body up for election";
(5)in section 93 –
(a)in paragraph (1), instead of "the submission of candidate lists under section 35(h)" there shall be read "the submission of candidate lists and candidate nominations under the Local Councils Ordinance";
(b)in paragraphs (2) and (3), after "that was duly approved" there shall be read "or a candidate whose nomination was duly approved".
(b)The provisions of section 94 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of offences referred to in subsection (a).
5.§

(Repealed — תיקון מס' 3, 2005)

5a.§

(Repealed — תיקון מס' 8, 2014)

Implementation§

6.

The Minister is responsible for the implementation of this Law and may make Regulations in respect of anything relating to its implementation, including in respect of the following matters:

(1)the method of elections to the council of the regional council; Regulations under this paragraph require the approval of the Committee;
(2)the number of members of the council of the regional council;
(3)the right to be elected and the right to be registered in the electoral roll;
(4)the preparation of the electoral roll;
(5)the preparation, conduct and determination of the results of elections;
(6)election propaganda.

Commencement§

7.

This Law shall commence on the 29th of Tevet 5755 (1 January 1995).

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Schedule

(Repealed)(Repealed)

LawConstitutional & Basic LawsAdministrative Law

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