Israel looks set to return to the polls in a general election on March 17, 2015. Ahead of the general elections, Israeli diplomats serving in Ghana will today Thursday March 5, 2015 exercise their franchise by casting their votes at the Embassy of Israel, which will serve as the polling station for the voting in Ghana. As a general rule, Israeli citizens outside the country are not entitled to cast a ballot except for citizens serving as diplomats for the country.
The March 17 elections will determine the composition of the 20th Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, and the government to either replace or maintain Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration. In all, 26 parties have submitted lists of candidates to the Central Elections Committee.
Israel has a parliamentary system based on nation-wide proportional representation. This means that voters elect nationally registered political factions, not local candidates. Each faction receives representation in the 120-seat Knesset proportional to how many votes it gets. Factions must meet a threshold of at least 3.25 percent of the vote to qualify for seats in the Knesset. Political factions may determine their own list of candidates usually through internal election or appointment.
To date, no single party has received enough Knesset seats to be able to form a government by itself; thus all Israeli governments have been based on coalitions of several parties. Those remaining outside the government compose the opposition.
Israel’s elections reflect the strong democratic tradition of the State of Israel. Election campaigns are a lively affair, accompanied by vigorous debate of the issues. Israelis take great interest in political affairs, including internal policy and foreign relations, and actively participate in the electoral process. Israeli voter turnout is traditionally very high—between 60 and 80 percent.
Israeli Central Elections Committee is responsible for conducting and supervising the elections. The Committee is headed by a Justice of the Supreme Court, currently Justice Salim Joubran, an Israeli Arab, and includes representatives of the parties holding seats in the current Knesset.
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Source: Embassy of Israel