From the front lines to the ballot box: IDF soldiers begin voting
From Mount Hermon to Eilat and across Israel's borders, IDF soldiers begin casting their ballots at 850 military polling stations, including mobile stations for troops on operational missions.
IDF soldiers have begun voting in the 2026 Knesset elections at military bases across the region, as announced by the IDF on Wednesday. Over 850 military polling stations have been established and will remain operational until Election Day on October 27 to guarantee that every active-duty soldier, regardless of whether they are in mandatory or reserve duty, can exercise their right to vote. This setup is contingent upon operational requirements, according to the IDF.
IDF Elections Officer Col. Vered Ben Yehuda stated in a statement that the IDF is a national, state-oriented army committed to ensuring the elections proceed as planned. The IDF has imposed a leave restriction for all units since Monday, effective Thursday, which could last up to six days until the October 27 elections. Furthermore, the IDF plans to increase its numbers across various units and brigades, with a particular focus on the West Bank, announced IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir.
Zamir emphasized that the IDF's mission is to ensure democratic elections take place safely and on schedule. Col. Ben Yehuda also issued a statement on Monday, reaffirming the military's commitment to allowing every soldier to vote in the upcoming elections. She wrote, "We must all act to ensure that every service member can exercise their right to vote, while upholding the non-partisan, state-oriented character of the IDF and strictly maintaining the integrity of the election process.
It is our responsibility and duty, as IDF commanders, to facilitate the democratic electoral process."
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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