Voters point to what they see as threats to democracy under Netanyahu, who faces an ongoing trial on corruption charges—which he denies—and is still pursuing contentious plans for reforms to the judicial system, which led to mass protests before the 7 October attacks. Arab parties could also hold the critical balance of power in the Israeli election.
Hundreds of thousands of Israeli soldiers and reservists will also cast ballots, but many of those votes will not begin being counted until Wednesday, meaning there may be a late boon for the right-wing parties who are thought to have strong support from that demographic.
Turnout so far is at record levels as Israelis vote in what many view as one of the most pivotal elections in the country's history. The campaign has been shaped by the issues of democracy and security, and the election is widely being seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's rule.
This election looks especially tight, and lines in the sand have already been drawn. Neither of their political blocs are projected to win the 61 seats needed to form a majority government, meaning weeks or months of political wrangling may lie ahead. In that scenario, new elections would be called, with Netanyahu to remain as interim prime minister.
Between 2019 and 2022, Israel held five separate elections as parties struggled time and again to co-operate. An unprecedented 70,000 people have reportedly flown home from abroad to vote, while hundreds of thousands are set to cast ballots for the first time.