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The Central Elections Committee
for the 18th Knesset
Knesset
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Elections for th
The Knesset Electoral System
Elections for the Knesset are:
General – all citizens of the State age 18 and above have the right to participate.
National – for the purpose of calculating the results of the election, the entire country is
considered a single electoral district.
Direct- winners are determined directly according the results of the voting (and not
indirectly, such as the system in the United States, where the president is elected by
regional delegates to the Electoral College). In Israel, voters cast a ballot in favor of a list
of candidates.
Equitable – each voter has one ballot. All voters are equal in their power to influence the
outcome of the election.
Secret- no one but the voter knows how he cast his ballot. Secrecy is guaranteed in the
following ways:
Sealed, lined envelopes that prevent anyone from seeing the ballot slip inside.
Voting booths that prevent the voter from being seen when he chooses his
ballot and places it into the envelope.
Each voter is free to vote according to his/her will, and no other individual can
know how he/she cast their vote.
Note: Elections will take place on February 10, 2009.
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Election Results
1. Each list of candidates that receives at least 2% of the legitimate votes
participates in the distribution of mandates.
2. The total number of legitimate votes for all lists that participate in the distribution
of mandates is divided by 120, and the resulting number is the “index.”
3. Each list of candidates receives Knesset seats according to the total number of votes
received as divided by the “index.”
What is the “Voters List”?
The Voters List is a list o