Israel election: final count leaves Netanyahu and Eisenkot short of a majority

Update, Nov. 1: Israel's Central Elections Committee published final results with turnout of 77.9%, or 5,716,665 votes cast, The Times of Israel and Ynet reported. The official results go to President Isaac Herzog on Nov. 4, and the new Knesset is set to be sworn in Nov. 10. Update, Oct. 31: With all votes counted, final results released early Friday showed Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, Eisenkot's opposition bloc 48 and Arab-led parties 19, AP reported. Neither side has the 61 seats needed to govern. The results still need to be certified and given to President Isaac Herzog, who will then choose a lawmaker to try to form a government.

Exit polls: The first broadcaster exit polls at 10 p.m. local time had the blocs roughly even. Updated overnight, Kan and Channel 13 showed Netanyahu's bloc and Eisenkot's "change bloc" tied at 51 seats each, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu 52 to 49, the BBC reported. Israeli exit polls are often revised and the final count can swing by several seats, The Guardian noted.

The count before the final tally: With about 98.6% of ballot boxes counted, not including double-envelope absentee ballots, the Central Elections Committee's count gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats, Eisenkot's bloc 48 and Arab-led parties 19, Ynet reported Thursday. That was a one-seat shift from the earlier partial count of 54, 47 and 19, and the bloc split held steady through Thursday's updates, Haaretz reported. The committee's official results page says figures can change until final results are published. An earlier count with about 70.7% of votes in had Likud leading all parties with about 20.7% of the vote; AP noted Likud's share was below its 23.4% in 2022.

Each side's reaction: Netanyahu told supporters at Likud headquarters that his right-wing bloc had a "great majority" and called for "a strong, right-wing national government," the BBC reported. Eisenkot had said on election day he was "convinced we will finish tonight with change and a new spirit." Some of Eisenkot's likely partners have ruled out relying on Arab parties, AP reported, which limits his path to 61.

What's still unknown: Who Herzog will ask to form a government, and whether any coalition can reach 61 seats. Coalition talks could take weeks, and a deadlock could lead to another election. Parties complained of polling-station irregularities; the Central Elections Committee said it had no evidence of systematic tampering.

Sourcing: BBC, AP, The Guardian, NBC News, Ynet and Haaretz, with turnout and the count from Israel's Central Elections Committee (official results page linked in Sources). Updated Thursday morning, Oct. 29, Pacific time, with the committee's count at about 98.6% of regular ballots; the earlier 71% snapshot was 54-47-19. Updated Oct. 31 with final results (53-48-19) as reported by AP; results still await certification. Photos are file images.