Research and “WASTED VOTES" Information A Look at Invalid Ballots and Votes Center The Knesset for Lists that did not Cross the Electoral Threshold www.knesset.gov.il/mmm April 5th 2021 | 23 Nisan 5781 During the vote-counting process of each national election, many votes are not THE VOTE-COUNTING included in the calculation of how seats in PROCESS the Knesset are to be distributed among the electoral lists. These can be seen as "wasted votes." There are two types of "wasted votes”: Total number of voters Invalid ballots Valid ballots that were cast for lists that did not cross the electoral threshold, which is currently set at 3.25%. Although neither type of ballot is taken into account when calculating the number of Knesset seats that each list receives, there is an important distinction between the two. Because only valid ballots are counted for the purpose of calculating the electoral threshold, invalid ballots are not taken into account for this calculation, while valid ballots cast for lists Invalid Number of valid ballots, used to that did not cross the electoral threshold are. ballots calculate the electoral threshold “WASTED VOTES” th th 20 Knesset–24 Knesset Votes for lists that Invalid Percentage of did not cross the votes “wasted votes” (out electoral threshold of the total number of voters) 366,016 Votes for lists that Number of votes required did not cross the for each Knesset seat 189,517 126,704 electoral threshold (the general indicator) 43,854 36,901 64,752 30,983 28,362 25,073 26,752 Division of 5.48% 9.15% 3.47% 1.34% 2.05% seats among 20th 21 th 22th 23th 24th the lists Knesset Knesset Knesset Knesset Knesset order to enter the Knesset. The electoral threshold has gradually been raised over theyears: beenraisedover theKnesset. hasgradually enter electoral to The threshold order in validballotsthatalistmustreceive ofthetotal isthepercentage electoralThe threshold theelectoralcross threshold didnot cast liststhat for votes Valid that were cast for lists that did not cross theelectoral threshold. liststhat didnotcross castfor that were dealoffluctuationvotes inthenumber ofvalid hasbeenagreat there shows, the graph As Constituent Assembly- 0.83 % st 8.6 % Until the elections for the Until theelections for After the elections for the After theelections for it hasnotbeenchangedsince. the electoral threshold was the electoral threshold was the electoral threshold From the elections for the theelections for From 1 Knesset the theelections for From (OUT OF ALL VALID BALLOTS) VALID OFALL (OUT THE ELECTORALTHRESHOLD CROSS DID NOT CASTTHAT VOTES FORLISTS OF PERCENTAGE Electoral threshold Electoral threshold nd 2 Knesset 0.6% 3rd Knesset 2.4% 4th Knesset 4.6% 5th Knesset 0.7% 6th Knesset 2.9% 1 12 % 19 13 7th Knesset 1.1% 17 2% 1.5% th th th th Knesset was (1988)theelectoral threshold Knesset the19thKnesset the elections (2006)to for (2013), Knesset the16thKnesset the elections (1992)to for (2003), 8th Knesset 4.8% Knesset, wasraisedto theelectoral threshold . 9th Knesset 2.7% 10th Knesset 5.2% 11th Knesset 2.8% 12th Knesset 2.4% th 13 Knesset 5.0% th 14 Knesset 2.6% 1. 5 % 15th Knesset 6.0% 16th Knesset 4.2% 17th Knesset 5.8% 1% 2 3.25% . 18th Knesset 3.1% % 19th Knesset 7.1% , and 20th Knesset 4.5% 21st Knesset 8.5% 3.25 22nd Knesset 2.9% % 23rd Knesset 0.8% 24th Knesset 1.5% identical ballots would likewiseidentical ballotswould notbeinvalidated. withthree amended in2017sothatanenvelope further was law The lower. significantly was ballots twoof disqualified the number elections, following In the notbeinvalidated. two identicalballotswould with the Knesset anenvelope Elections whereby Law anamendmentto May 1973,theKnesset approved in a result, As envelope. single a in placed been had identicalballots becausetwo ormore invalidated thatmostofthesewere examination, itwasfound cast. Upon —4.2%ofallthevotes of 60,000votes Those elections thedisqualification saw disqualified. ballotswere withtwoKnesset, ormore envelopes theSeventh andincludingtheelectionsUp to for Arabic translation. use aHebrew-only with ballotorainHebrew may Voters andname. letter theHebrew to correspond which Elections theCentral by Committee, approved andname addtheArabicletter addition, alistmay list.Inthe letter—or thenameandletter—of agiven andthey mustbearnothingbut Elections Committee, theCentral by approved withatemplate in accordance printed be to ballots are 1969, Version), (Consolidated Section to 76oftheKnessetAccording Elections Law ballots Invalid Constituent Assembly- ballots. otherinvalid from separately notcounted theseblankballotsare vote, castablankballotasprotest may some voters though even Therefore, theirdisqualification. for with nodistinction thereasons madebetween asasingleunit, counted ballotsare invalid All 1st Knesset 1.23% nd 2 Knesset 1.08% rd 3 Knesset 2.61% th 4 Knesset 2.51% th 5 Knesset 2.90% th 6 Knesset 3.05% 7th Knesset 4.22% 8th Knesset 2.14% 9th Knesset 1.35% 10th Knesset 0.88% 11th Knesset 0.86% 12th Knesset 0.97% 13th Knesset 0.80% NUMBER OF INVALID VOTES (OUT OF (OUT VOTES NUMBER OFINVALID th 2.17% ballots Blank 14 Knesset Committee Elections theCentral by ones provided other thanthe Envelopes ballots non-identical ormore two containing Envelopes identity the voter's reveal could marks that with envelopes Ballots in ARE INVALID VOTES THE FOLLOWING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTERS) THE TOTAL 15th Knesset 1.91% 16th Knesset 1.64% th בב Knesset 1.56% 17 th 1.26% אא Knesset 18 19th Knesset 1.07% committee of thepoll members two of signature the lacking Envelopes ballots identical three than more containing Envelopes blue pen other thana something with marked Ballots name or letter list’s other thanthe something with marked Ballots 20th Knesset 1.03% 21st Knesset 0.71% 22nd Knesset 0.64% אא אא 23rd Knesset 0.54% אא אא 24th Knesset 0.59% Examination of the data on the votes cast for electoral lists that did not cross the electoral threshold points to a distinction between a relatively small number of lists that were fairly close to the threshold and a larger number of lists that were quite far from it. The diagram below presents the following data the last four elections: the number of votes cast for lists that did not cross the electoral threshold but received at least 1% of the valid votes, and the total number of votes cast for lists that received less than 1% of all the valid votes. VOTES FOR LISTS THAT DID NOT CROSS THE ELECTORAL THRESHOLD (OUT OF ALL VALID BALLOTS) Yachad Crossed: Did not cross: (125,158 votes) 2.97% th 95.50% 4.50% Green Leaf 20 (4,021,367 (189,517 (47,180 votes) 1.21% Knesset votes) votes) 13 other lists (17,179 votes) 0.41% New Right (138,598 votes) 3.22% Crossed: Did not cross: Zehut 91.51 % 8.49% th (118,031 votes) 2.74% 21 (3,943,254 (366,016 Knesset votes) votes) Gesher (74,701 votes) 1.73% 26 other lists (34,686 votes) 0.80% Crossed: Did not cross: Otzma Yehudit % % th 97.14 2.86 (83,609 votes) 1.88% 22 (4,310,102 (126,704 Knesset votes) votes) 19 other lists (43,095 votes) 0.97% Crossed: Did not cross: th 99.20% 0.80% 21 lists 23 (4,533,161 (36,901 (36,901 votes) 0.80% Knesset votes) votes) Crossed: Did not cross: % % th 98.53 1.47 25 lists 24 (4,345,300 (64,752 (64,752 votes) 1.47% Knesset votes) votes) Sources: Knesset website: www.knesset.gov.il ■ Central Elections Committee, bechirot.gov.il ■ Israel Democracy Institute, Elections and parties, accessed, March 2nd 2021 ■ Assaf Shapiro, What happens to invalid votes?, Israel Democracy Institute, February 17th 2021 [Hebrew] ■ Meir Chazan, The preparations for the elections to the Constituent Assembly in 1949, in Mordechai Bar-On and Meir Chazan (eds.), Politics in wartime: Studies on the civilian society during the Israeli War of Independence, Jerusalem, 2014, pp. 88–126 [Hebrew] ■ Judah Troen, The electoral threshold and changes over time: A comparative review, Knesset Research and Information Center, January 20th 2019 [Hebrew] ■ Rinat Benita, Spotlight on the Israeli elections for the 22nd Knesset, Knesset Research and Information Center, September 3rd 2019 [Hebrew] ■ Central Elections Committee for the Twenty-third Knesset, Appendix to the memorandum on the results of the elections for the 23rd Knesset: Details on the distribution of mandates, March 2020 [Hebrew]. Written by: Rami Schwartz | Approved by: Orly Almagor Lotan | Language editing: Knesset Record staff | Graphic design: Knesset Printing and Publications Department.