Jerusalem, 21 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Central Elections Committee ruled that votes for Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party will not count in Tuesday’s election, following the withdrawal of every candidate on its slate.
Officials have been directed to remove the party’s ballot slips from polling booths and cross out its name on posters identifying the parties running in the election. Any Blue and White ballot, including handwritten slips, will be deemed invalid.
The ruling also covers ballots already submitted by Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Israeli diplomats voting overseas, the committee said.
Gantz announced Monday that he was pulling out of the race after polls indicated Blue and White was unlikely to clear the 3.25% electoral threshold for Knesset representation.
