65,000 Israelis Abroad Return Home to Vote

An estimated 65,000 Israelis living abroad are expected to return to Israel for the upcoming elections, according to a new assessment by the Fly&Vote project. This follows a passenger surplus of 77,000 arrivals over departures at Ben Gurion Airport in the past two weeks. The elections are set for Tuesday, October 27. Airport data shows an average of 32,300 daily landings between October 13 and 26, compared to 26,800 departures. Incoming flights also show higher occupancy, such as a nearly full flight from Larnaca with 180 passengers versus 32 on the outbound route. The increase is moderate compared to last October, and data does not confirm all arrivals are for voting. About 810,000 eligible voters live abroad, but most cannot vote at Israeli missions and must travel home. Israiair's CEO attributed the trend to returning voters, though the exact cause remains unverified.