Israel’s Election Committee Rejects Likud Request to Extend Voting as Ben Gvir Warns of Arab Turnout

Israel’s Central Elections Committee has rejected a request by the Likud party to extend voting hours, leaving the scheduled closing time unchanged.

Likud had sought to keep polling open beyond the 10 p.m. local-time deadline. The available information did not specify how much additional time the party requested or its reasons for seeking an extension.

The rejection came as Ben Gvir raised an alarm over rising turnout among Arab voters. No turnout figures were provided to substantiate his warning.

The committee’s decision means voting remains scheduled to end at 10 p.m. No explanation for the rejection was included in the available account.