640,000 New Ballots Could Decide 12 Knesset Seats

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Israelis go to the polls in an election where 640,000 first-time voters may hold significant influence. Nearly 10% of the electorate are new voters between the ages of 18 and 22, and their choices could determine the outcome of 12 Knesset seats. Yael Chernyvsky, 18, from Ramat Hasharon, is one of these new voters. She told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency earlier this month that she is voting “so we can change the future of this country.” She spoke before an event in a Tel Aviv auditorium where leading politicians addressed more than 1,000 first-time voters, many of them in pre-military programs. Chernyvsky, who is in an army preparation program in the Negev, blames the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the country's problems. She has not settled on a party but said she will “probably” back either the Democrats, led by Yair Golan, or Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot. Both belong to the opposition “change bloc,” which wants to remove Netanyahu. He has been in office since 2009, apart from a brief break in 2021 and 2022. Tammy Hoffman, head of the education policy program at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), said the institute co-sponsored the event with the Yigal Allon Center. “Israel is a young country with a high birth rate,” she said. “If their turnout is high, as our research suggests, first-time voters will make a difference.” In May, the IDI surveyed prospective first-time Jewish and Arab voters. Across population groups, 80% to 95% said they would definitely or probably vote. Secular Jewish youth were the most certain, and 87% of Arabs said they intend to vote. That compares with a youth turnout of 47% in the 2024 US presidential election, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

image_prompt

A photorealistic news photo of a young Israeli voter casting a ballot in an election booth, with the Israeli flag in the background, capturing the sense of anticipation and importance of the moment.

Young Israelis face a pivotal election on Tuesday, where 640,000 new voters could decide the outcome of 12 Knesset seats. Yael Chernyvsky, 18, from Ramat Hasharon, is one of these new voters, and she is determined to change the future of the country. She spoke before an event in a Tel Aviv auditorium where leading politicians addressed more than 1,000 first-time voters, many of them in pre-military programs. Chernyvsky, who is in an army preparation program in the Negev, blames the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the country's problems. She has not settled on a party but said she will “probably” back either the Democrats, led by Yair Golan, or Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot. Both belong to the opposition “change bloc,” which wants to remove Netanyahu. He has been in office since 2009, apart from a brief break in 2021 and 2022. Tammy Hoffman, head of the education policy program at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), said the institute co-sponsored the event with the Yigal Allon Center. “Israel is a young country with a high birth rate,” she said. “If their turnout is high, as our research suggests, first-time voters will make a difference.” In May, the IDI surveyed prospective first-time Jewish and Arab voters. Across population groups, 80% to 95% said they would definitely or probably vote. Secular Jewish youth were the most certain, and 87% of Arabs said they intend to vote. That compares with a youth turnout of 47% in the 2024 US presidential election, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.