Preliminary figures show voter turnout in the Arab city of Umm al Fahm reached 19.5 percent by noon on Tuesday, potentially indicating significantly higher participation than during the corresponding hours of the previous election.
If confirmed, the figure would mark a notable increase compared with turnout recorded during the 2022 elections.
According to figures published by Radio A-Shams on November 1, 2022, turnout in Umm al Fahm stood at just 5.78 percent by 12:30 pm.
Later that day, the Arab 48 news website reported that turnout in the city had reached 9 percent by 1 pm.
City’s boycott stance
At the end of the 2022 elections, official results from Israel’s Central Elections Committee showed turnout in Umm al Fahm stood at 38.29 percent.
Of the city’s 38,286 eligible voters, only 14,658 cast ballots.
Umm al Fahm was among the Arab cities with the lowest turnout rates in the previous elections. The city has a long-standing history of a boycott stance regarding Israeli national elections
However, the current preliminary figures and those from 2022 were recorded at different times, meaning they do not provide a precise comparison of turnout at the same hour.
The early figures suggest a possible shift in voting patterns in the city, but only further participation and official data will determine whether the trend continues until polling stations close.
