The scenario: voting under fire | How Israel is preparing — and in which case the elections will be postponed?
ynet reviews Israel's preparations for the possibility of disruption to the 26th Knesset elections, scheduled for October 27, 2026, due to a security event. The Central Elections Committee is working to hold the vote on schedule even under fire, with adjustments such as extended hours and placing polling stations in protected spaces. Postponing the elections requires the support of 80 MKs and is only permitted in a severe emergency that prevents free elections.
ynet and 'Yedioth Ahronoth' publish a comprehensive review of Israel's preparations for the possibility that the 26th Knesset elections, scheduled for October 27, 2026, could be disrupted by an exceptional security event, such as a missile attack from Iran. The Central Elections Committee, in cooperation with the police, the Shin Bet, and the Home Front Command, is holding a joint situation room to discuss various scenarios. The central directive is to hold the elections on schedule, with adjustments such as extending voting hours and placing polling stations in protected spaces. The only grounds for postponing the elections, according to Section 9A of the Basic Law, is a state of emergency that prevents free and equal elections, requiring the support of 80 Knesset members. The Chairman of the Elections Committee, Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Solberg, emphasized that a limited and justified postponement may be warranted, but it must not be used by the government to extend its term. The article details the procedure during a siren: the polling station secretary seals the ballot box and those present evacuate to a protected space. It also mentions the only precedent for postponing elections in Israel, during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.