67,000 Israelis Abroad Expected to Fly Home to Vote

An estimated 67,000 Israelis living abroad are expected to travel to Israel to vote in the October 27 national election, according to a projection by AID Coalition’s FlyVote initiative. The figure represents planned trips, not confirmed arrivals or ballots cast. Most eligible Israeli citizens living overseas must be physically present in Israel to vote. Limited exceptions apply to certain officials serving abroad and qualifying family members. The country does not generally provide absentee voting by mail or online, making travel necessary for most expatriates who want to participate. AID Coalition, a U.S.-based nonprofit that encourages overseas Israelis to vote, said about half of the expected returning voters would come from the United States. Its estimate was based on expatriate surveys and registration data collected through FlyVote. Travelers generally pay their own fares. Israel has more than 7.3 million eligible voters, and the election is expected to be closely contested. The returning voters will join millions of citizens in choosing the composition of the next government, but their eventual turnout and aggregate voting preferences are not established by the travel...