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Cartel electoral con los rostros de dos candidatos israelíes junto a rascacielos al atardecer, con la silueta desenfocada de un peatón en primer plano
Cartel de campaña en una avenida israelí durante la contienda electoral cuyos resultados oficiales certificó la Comisión Electoral Central. · David Goldman/AP Photo/picture alliance

Israel certifies election after unprecedented audit finds no damage

Israel's Central Elections Committee completed an unprecedented audit, reviewed the records of 9.069 polling stations and said it found no damage to the…

--- The context --- The October 27 elections produced a clear result, but no majority to govern alone. According to the official results, Likud won 27 seats and its coalition totals 53 lawmakers, below the 61 needed for an absolute majority. On October 28, Likud denounced what it described as a theft of the elections and said it had presented hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence of alleged irregularities. --- The facts --- The Central Elections Committee said this Wednesday (4.11.2026) that it completed an audit and found nothing indicating damage to the integrity of the elections, according to its statement. According to the body, it reviewed records from 9.069 polling stations, around 75 % of the 12.018 ordinary stations, compared with the 5.100 (43,5 %) examined in 2022. There was also a detailed examination of ballots and rolls in 350 centers. Parties and lists filed 2.452 review requests concerning 1.350 stations, and citizens sent another 1.239 complaints relating to 750 stations, according to the Committee. According to acting director general Dean Livne, corrections were made from the official records. --- The positions --- The Committee's chairman, Supreme Court judge Noam Sohlberg, said exhaustive checks were carried out in an unprecedented number of polling stations. The Committee and the Police dismissed Likud's accusations about thousands of envelopes with cash alongside Raam ballots. The opposition accused Netanyahu of orchestrating an operation to question the elections. Sohlberg asked Shin Bet head David Zini to investigate possible foreign interference, while Qatar rejected the accusations mentioning it. --- What remains unknown --- The outcome of the investigation into possible foreign interference is unknown, as is who will form a government after President Isaac Herzog's consultations. --- Unanswered questions --- What will the Shin Bet investigation conclude about foreign interference? Will the Committee publish the detail of the corrections? Which lawmaker will be tasked with forming a government? Can any bloc gather the 61 supports needed? --- EPM analysis --- The central point is institutional: a review far broader than that of 2022 found no damage to electoral integrity. Insisting on an alleged theft without new evidence erodes trust in democratic rules. The result also requires negotiation. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, of Yashar!, totals 48 seats, and the Joint List and Raam obtained 19 representatives together. No bloc reaches a majority alone. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the audit strengthens institutions because it subjects every claim to exhaustive examination before certifying the result. Defending democracy means accepting uncomfortable counts and protecting trust in the vote of all citizens, including those who support minority formations. The task now is to form a government with transparency, respect the verified process and prevent unproven complaints from becoming a permanent tool of political delegitimization against the system and its safeguards.
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