| Israel's 2003 Elections | |
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2003 Elections
Elections in Israel will take place on January 28, 2003. This will be the fifth time in ten years that Israelis have gone to the polls to choose a new government. These early elections were called for by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on November 5, 2002.
Israelis get one vote. They will vote for the political party of their choosing. The leader of the party that wins the most Knesset mandates (out of 120 seats) will become the country's Prime Minister.
In choosing the party to support, Israelis will be considering the war with Palestinian terrorists, the potential US attack on Iraq, the global "War on Terrorism," the country's worsening economic situation, and a plethora of unaddressed social and cultural issues.
Israel's two major political parties are Likud and Labor. In pre-election primaries, the Likud Party re-elected Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as its chairman and candidate for prime minister, and the Labor Party selected Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna as its chairman and candidate for prime minister.
Israeli Elections
Israel's elections reflect the strong democratic tradition of the State of Israel. Election campaigns include lively, vigorous debate of the issues. Israelis actively participate in the electoral process with voter turnout often reaching around 80%.
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Knesset
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Year
|
Eligible Voters
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Percent that Voted
|
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1
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1949
|
506,567
|
86.9
|
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2
|
1951
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924,885
|
75.1
|
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3
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1955
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1,057,795
|
82.8
|
|
4
|
1959
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1,218,483
|
81.6
|
|
5
|
1961
|
1,271,285
|
83.0
|
|
6
|
1965
|
1,499,709
|
83.0
|
|
7
|
1969
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1,748,710
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81.7
|
|
8
|
1973
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2,037,478
|
78.6
|
|
9
|
1977
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2,236,293
|
79.2
|
|
10
|
1981
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2,490,014
|
78.5
|
|
11
|
1984
|
2,654,613
|
78.8
|
|
12
|
1988
|
2,894,267
|
79.7
|
|
13
|
1992
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3,409,015
|
77.4
|
|
14
|
1996
|
3,933,250
|
79.3
|
|
15
|
1999
|
4,285,428
|
78.7
|
|
elections for PM
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2001
|
4,504,769
|
62.3
|
All citizens aged 18 or older on election day are eligible to vote. Election day is a holiday in order to enable all to participate. Soldiers on active duty vote in special polling stations in their units. Special arrangements have also been made for prison inmates to vote, as well as for those confined to hospital. Israeli law does not provide for absentee ballots, and voting takes place only on Israeli soil. The sole exceptions are Israeli citizens serving on Israeli ships and in Israeli embassies and consulates abroad.
Next page > [Israeli Electoral System] > Page 1, 2, 3
Source: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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~ Lisa Katz
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