How many will vote in double envelopes — and who will benefit? | The record expected to be broken, and the meaning
The Central Elections Committee is preparing for a record 600,000-650,000 voters using double envelopes in the 2026 elections, due to reserve duty and wartime evacuations. Experience shows the count usually changes one or two seats, harming Haredi and Arab parties while benefiting Zionist ones. In the 2022 elections, United Torah Judaism lost one seat to Yisrael Beiteinu.
Two days before the polls open for the 2026 elections, the Central Elections Committee is preparing for an unprecedented number of double envelopes: between 600,000 and 650,000 Israelis are expected to vote this way, a new record stemming from ongoing reserve duty and the evacuation of residents due to the war. This represents about 15 seats that will be counted after election night results, meaning possible additional changes in seat distribution later in the week. Experience from the 2022 elections, when over 460,000 people voted this way, shows that the impact of double envelopes is limited but noticeable: it typically harms Haredi and Arab parties and improves the standing of Zionist parties. In the previous elections, United Torah Judaism dropped from 8 to 7 seats and Yisrael Beiteinu rose from 5 to 6. Meretz, which was close to the electoral threshold, was hit as its vote share declined. The article details the vote distribution in double envelopes in 2022, noting the pattern repeats over the years. For parties hovering around the electoral threshold, the decision will be delayed by a day or two until all envelopes are counted.