What happens after polls close in Israel?

Polling stations in Israel will close on Tuesday evening, but it could be weeks before Benjamin Netanyahu or one of his opponents will be declared the next prime minister.

It might even require another election.

That’s because Israelis vote for parties and not candidates. None of the several main parties is expected to win anywhere close to a 61-seat majority in Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset. So the next prime minister will have to cobble together a coalition.

Fastest voter turnout in decades as Israel election puts Netanyahu’s political survival on the line

Polls show a tight race between coalitions supporting Netanyahu and his main opponent, retired Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. In the end, both could fall short of a 61-seat majority, meaning another election would be held in the coming months with Netanyahu’s government staying on as a caretaker.

Here’s a look at the process.

Israeli broadcasters release exit polls

Shortly after polls close at 10 p.m. local time, Israel’s three main television broadcasters will release exit polls estimating how many seats were won by each party.

The exit polls usually provide a good indication of how people have voted. But they also could vary and may not be borne out by the official results, which will be released in the coming days.

The Associated Press calls thousands of elections in the United States, but doesn’t declare winners in foreign elections.

Party leaders negotiate

If, as expected, neither coalition pulls off a clear victory, then the coming weeks will see intense negotiations and bargaining among party leaders as they try to get to 61 seats.

Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, will hold consultations with all the party leaders after the election and ask the candidate who appears most likely to form a coalition to do so. If that candidate is unable to assemble a majority within a maximum of six weeks, then others could be given a shot.

The process gives outsized power to smaller parties that can often provide a crucial margin. The leaders of the bigger parties typically woo them with promises of Cabinet positions, budgets or specific policies.

This election could in theory be decided by Arab-led parties.

Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have so far ruled out any partnership with them. But they could allow Eisenkot to form a minority government by backing him from outside the coalition or even just abstaining from the Knesset vote to seat the next government.

Gridlock would lead to another election

If, after all the negotiations, no one is able to form a majority, a new election would be held in the next few months and the process would repeat itself.

Netanyahu’s government would remain as a caretaker and public services wouldn’t be affected. But it would lack the authority to enact major policy changes.

Even another election may not resolve matters.

The last national election held in Israel, in November, 2022, was the fifth in 3½ years.