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Israel Prison Service: 88.7% of inmates voted in Knesset election

Israel Prison Service officers prepare Palestinian prisoners for release as part of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, at Ktzi’ot Prison in southern Israel, Feb. 26, 2025. File photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.
Israel Prison Service officers prepare Palestinian prisoners for release as part of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, at Ktzi’ot Prison in southern Israel, Feb. 26, 2025. File photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.
Chaim Goldberg/Flash90

Turnout among eligible voters held in Israel Prison Service facilities reached 88.7% in Tuesday’s Knesset election, the IPS said after polls there closed at 8 p.m.

All eligible prisoners and detainees were given the opportunity to cast a ballot, according to a statement from the IPS Spokesperson’s Unit.

Judges and official observers visited prison facilities throughout the day, the IPS said. Guards kept order while ensuring a secret ballot “in accordance with the law,” the service added.

Nationwide, some 4.9 million Israelis had voted by 6 p.m., according to the most recent figures published by the Central Elections Committee. That put turnout at 66.7%, the highest on record at that hour, the committee’s acting director-general, Dean Livne, said.

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