Double-envelope ballots being counted in the last election. In 2022, there were nearly half a million such votes – equivalent to about 12 Knesset seats. Credit: Emil SalmanRecent research shows that once double-envelope ballots are counted, turnout in many liberal strongholds rivals – and sometimes surpasses – that of ultra-Orthodox strongholds. The finding comes as politicians eye changes that could reshape the next election03:01 PM • June 06 2026 IDTOne of the axioms of Israeli politics is the legendary voter turnout of the ultra-Orthodox. Transportation services for voters, voter-management apps that even work on kosher phones, the admorim – or rabbinic leaders – who rule their communities with a firm hand, and the immense pressure on anyone considering staying home all supposedly combine to produce a voter turnout rate unmatched anywhere else in Israel.In the NewsThe Ballots That Challenge a Core Myth of Israeli PoliticsIran World Cup Players Get U.S. Visas, Official Says, Some Staff WaitingReport: Pentagon Puts Israeli Spying on U.S. Risk at Highest Level, Sources SayForget Superheroes. YouTube Horror Is Giving Hollywood a Much-needed FrightGermany Is Paying a Price for Its Sweeping Support for IsraelRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIFar-right Israeli Ministers Join Thousands at Israel Day Parade in New YorkIsrael's Solution to the Gaza Problem Is Well Underway'Israel Is Unstoppable, We Need Other Countries to Get Us Out of This''Fucking Crazy': Trump Lashes Out at Netanyahu Over Lebanon, Report SaysThe Paradigm That Led to Oct. 7 Didn't Collapse, It Was Fiction From the StartManufactured Nostalgia for Lebanon's Beaufort Masks a Strategic Failure
The ballots that challenge a core myth of Israeli politics
Recent Research Shows That Once Double-envelope Ballots Are Counted, Turnout in Many Liberal Strongholds Rivals – and Sometimes Surpasses – That of ultra-Orthodox Strongholds. The Finding Comes as Politicians Eye Changes That Could Reshape the Next Election
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