Ahead of the elections: who is entitled to a day off - and how much will be paid to those who work?

The Ministry of Labor has published guidelines ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset on October 27: Election Day is a day off, but public services will operate as usual. Workers who work are generally entitled to 200% pay, except for foreign workers in certain sectors who are only entitled to regular pay.

The Ministry of Labor has published guidelines ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset, which will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Election Day is defined as a day off, but a range of public services will operate as usual, including transportation, restaurants, hotels, health services, and security forces. Workers who have worked for the same employer for at least 14 consecutive days before Election Day are entitled to the pay they would have received if it were not a day off. Regarding payment for workers who come to work on Election Day, the law does not set an explicit rate, but a practice that has taken root in the economy is payment of 200% of the salary or regular pay plus vacation hours. In contrast, foreign workers in the nursing, hotel, catering, construction, agriculture, and industry sectors are only entitled to regular pay, without any addition. A unique arrangement applies to polling station workers, observers, and security personnel, and the deadline for paying their wages can be up to 60 days after Election Day.