How many Israelis are eligible to vote in the upcoming election?

Since the last elections held in September, the number of eligible voters aged 18 and up has risen by 62,000 or 1.1%

FEBRUARY 26, 2020 12:24

‘ISRAEL’S INABILITY to form a government, after two consecutive elections, appears to be related to this paradigmatic shift in politics.’ (photo credit: REUTERS) — ‘ISRAEL’S INABILITY to form a government, after two consecutive elections, appears to be related to this paradigmatic shift in politics.’

(photo credit: REUTERS)

On Monday, Israel will hold its third Knesset election in under a year. Notwithstanding electoral fatigue among the country’s population of 9.14 million, 5.9 million Israelis (about 64%) are eligible to vote, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Since the last elections held in September 2019, the number of eligible voters aged 18 and above has risen by more than 62,000 or 1.1%, according to the CBS study.

While Arabs constitute 21% of the country's population, they make up only 17% of eligible voters – a reflection of the large percentage under the age of 18. Voter turnout in the Arab sector rose by 10% from the April 2019 to the September 2019 elections, the Israel Democracy Institute noted in a research report analyzing voter behavior in those two elections.

The number of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 remains at 13%, whereas the number of eligible voters between the ages of 25 and 39 is higher at 29%. The percentage of eligible voters between 40 and 59 is 32%, and 26% are aged 60 and up.

These estimates do not include citizens aged 18 and up who aren’t registered to vote because they’re not in the Population Registry – mainly the 350,000 Arabs in east Jerusalem and the 20,000 Druze in the Golan Heights. Israeli citizens residing abroad are ineligible to vote.

According to the Central Elections Committee, there are 5.6 million registered, eligible voters.

Zev Stub contributed to this report.