2024 Israeli municipal elections

Municipal elections in Israel took place on 27 February 2024. In accordance with changes made in 2018, election day will be a paid day off work. All municipalities, local councils and regional councils will be up for election, as will their leaders. Top-two runoffs will be held in all localities where no leadership candidate won 40% or more of the vote in the first round.

Voters in municipalities and local councils choose their leader and council in two separate ballots that are colored yellow and white respectively. Voters in regional councils also vote for a local committee using ballots that are colored blue. Blue ballots are also used for borough committees in cases in which they exist. All elected councilors and council leaders assume office 21 days after the election.

Postponements

The elections were originally scheduled for 31 October 2023, but were initially postponed until 30 January 2024 by the Knesset due to the Israel–Hamas war, in a law that allowed one more postponement to 27 February, subject to 80 Knesset members additional approval. Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich requested that the elections be further postponed due to the number of candidates from his party that are serving in the IDF Reserves. On 1 January 2024, the Knesset postponed the elections until 27 February.

Eligibility

All Israeli citizens and permanent residents who are 17 or older are eligible to vote on election day, unlike legislative elections, where only Israeli citizens who are 18 or older are eligible to vote.

Voters are only allowed to vote in the locality in which they are registered 40 days before the election. Individuals who were registered in a different locality in the 18-month period preceding the election will not be eligible to vote.

Background and preparatory measures

The elections will primarily concern local and national issues, and most lists set to compete will be local.

The elections were preceded by a period of political deadlock which began in 2019 and resulted in five legislative elections over the course of three years. Several new political parties have formed since the 2018 elections, such as the National Unity Party, while existing parties with local affiliates have either lost their seats in the Knesset (such as the Jewish Home, Meretz and the Green Party), or dissolved entirely (such as Kulanu).

The Israeli Police have prepared to protect candidates, mostly from Arab localities, who are being threatened by criminal organizations.

Municipal lists are to be submitted between 27 and 28 September 2023.

Regional councils

As of May 2022, there are 54 regional councils in Israel. Voters in regional councils elect two different levels of leadership with two different ballots. One for the council's leader and one for the council's members. In some regional councils, voters also elect the members of their local committee.

Cities and local councils

Other authorities

Both Industrial Local Councils, Ne'ot Hovav and Migdal Tefen, do not hold elections as the leader of their council is appointed by law by the Interior Minister.

Sha'ar HaShomron, a local council that was established in May 2022 as a merger of Etz Efraim and Sha'arei Tikva, is currently led by Avi Roeh, who was appointed by the Interior minister for a four-year term.

The Committee of the Jewish Community of Hebron, which was established in 2017, governs approximately 1,000 Israeli citizens who live in Area H-2 of the city. The Committee held its first election in September 2022, which was won by Eyal Gelman.

Tel Mond elected in November 2020 its mayor Lin Kaplan and it's council and therefore it will hold elections on a later date than most places.

Yoav Regional Council held its election in May 2023 due to the resignation of its leader, Matti Sarfati Harkavi, after her election to the Knesset. Natti Lerner was chosen as mayor in the second round.

External links

• Ministry of Interior (27 February 2024). "פורטל הבחירות לרשויות המקומיות". The municipal elections portal, gov.il (in Hebrew and Arabic). Retrieved 26 February 2024.

References