"I don't feel like waiting": Voices from the polling stations and the long lines

Long lines at polling stations in the south, alongside bustling commerce in the shopping centers in Ofakim. Residents report WhatsApp rumors about attempts to buy votes, and a resident of Yeruham said she was offered 500 shekels in exchange for voting for a certain party.

Election day in southern Israel is characterized by long lines at polling stations and crowded shopping centers. In the new shopping center in Ofakim, alongside the polling stations, a supermarket, an electronics store, a nut shop, and a baby store are operating – and everything is full. The local café and bakery are busy with customers, and families with children wearing party shirts are seen in the area. The public discourse focuses on the conduct of outgoing ministers and Knesset members, alongside rumors and WhatsApp messages about attempts to buy votes. A resident of Yeruham said she was offered 500 shekels in exchange for voting for a certain party and refused. Near a polling station at a high school, a woman with a megaphone tries to convince voters to support her party.