Israel Bar Association leadership election candidates urged attorneys to vote as polling stations opened on Tuesday morning.
Politicians made last minute declarations of support for their preferred candidates for the chairmanship and committee membership.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid and National Unity MK Gideon Sa'ar issued support for interim Bar chairman Amit Becher. Lapid said it was important also to support Becher's "Hope for the Bar" list as it was the members of the Bar's National Council that selected representatives to the Judicial Selection Committee.
Sa'ar wished for Becher’s success and said that the election is "part of the campaign for the fundamental values of the State of Israel."
Becher also championed his list's run as a means to "restore honor to the profession, to protect the independence of the legal system."
A text circulating from Becher's camp on messaging platforms listed instructions on how and to vote, organize rides to polling stations, and to share the message with friends.
"Make sure they do everything to stop the coup attempt," said the message. "Every vote counts."
Deputy Bar chairman Itzhak Natovich's Zionist Legal Initiative list received the backing of the Religious Zionist Party on Monday night, with MK Simcha Rothman and MK Bezalel Smotrich appearing alongside the list's members in a video.
"We call on all members of the national camp: Go vote," said Smotrich.
The list urged voters to engage in their democratic right as soon as possible, as most polls closed at 5 p.m., and there were long queues. Overburdened with high turnout, the Bar Association requested from Justice Minister Yariv Levin to keep the polls open longer.
Levin extended the opening hours until 8 p.m. but polling stations in some court houses were closed, the court spokespersons saying that there was no prior coordination for the change and it wasn't possible for the courthouses to remain open. The Bar Association later said that not only would the courthouses remain open, but that the main polling stations would be open until 9 p.m.
Efi Nave tours southern Israel on Bar election day
Former Bar head Efi Nave's team claimed that protesters acting on behalf of Becher stood in lines to make them longer and discourage people from voting within the tight time window.
"Another anti-democratic attempt by Becher to influence the results of the elections," said Nave's election team.
Becher denounced anyone who tried to disrupt the vote in a social media statement.
In a cross country trip, Nave polling stations in Jerusalem, Rishon Lezion, Beersheba and Ashdod, answering questions from prospective voters. He said on Tuesday evening that not voting was a vote for Becher. As the final hours of the vote neared, Nave took to social media with a desperate tone, telling supporters in Rehovot, Rishon Lezion and Bat Yam to "wake up" and that Becher's camp had seen an awakening of support.
Nave received a literal blessing for his run from the director of the Beersheba and Eilat court, Rabbi Yitzhak Dahan.
"I want to bless my beloved friend Efi Navi," said Dahan. "May God aid him."
The positions of Bar chairman, local district chairmen, and national and local committees were set to be decided by Tuesday's vote.
The results are set to be announced on Wednesday, but to become the chairman a candidate would need at least 40% of the vote. If no candidate has more than 40% of the votes, the association could see a second round of voting.