Israel Election Sights

It’s election day in Israel!  Here’s what it looks like…

Banners are everywhere near (but not exactly in front of) polling stations.  This one is for “Bayit Yehudi – the Jewish Home Party”, though someone stuck a Netanyahu (Likud – Israeli PM right now) sticker in the middle.

Pictures, pictures, everyone wants to vote for a face!  Here we see Shas (religious party) leader Aryeh Deri, and below Likud and current Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Worried about Jewish Home popularity, the Shas poster says “Return Home”.  And the Likud poster says “A Strong Prime Minister makes a Strong Israel”.

Anyone parking near the polling station was immediately physically spammed.  Here we have a Bayit Yehuda – Jewish Home flyer covered by an Otzma Yisroel – Israel Independence flyer.

The Strong Influence party is an insta-party by Israeli outreach rabbi Amnon Yitzchok.  Lots of his stickers around, each partially torn down.

Spread around the area were flyers for Am Shalem – another insta-party by Rabbi Amsalem.  That’s one technique, litter advertising.

Near the polling station where some parties giving out materials.  Seems a little late for stickers and so forth.  Here was a Bayit Yehudi table.

The election process is significantly simpler yet apparently more secure than US elections.  There’s several levels of quick checks to go through, here’s a polling station.  Each person arrives, is ID’d with verification by 4 poll operators, is checked off the citizens of the area list, is handed an official numbered polling envelope and sent to the polling station.

You’re presented with a tray of post-it slips.  Each has the party voting initials and the party name.

You take the slip for the party you’re voting for, place it in your official voting envelope, seal it, and drop it in the blue voting box in front of the poll operators.  This particular vote (not mine) was for The Jewish Home party.

G-d willing, the election should be for the good and take Israel in good directions in the future.