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Thursday, January 22, 2015
Weekly Commentary: All compelled to face reality check of 3.25% election threshold

Weekly Commentary: All compelled to face reality check of 3.25% election
threshold
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 22 January 2015

Next week is the last chance for parties to file for the upcoming Knesset
elections.

This Knesset elections, only parties that receive at least the 3.25%
threshold of valid votes will be in the Knesset.

Based on the 2013 elections, that’s over 123,000 votes.

Let me put this in context:

You can enjoy standing room only meetings in assembly halls from now to
election day but that doesn’t mean that you are even close to the threshold.

Even if literally everyone in your special subcategory comes through on
election day and votes for you it won’t be enough if your subcategory is
smaller than the threshold.

To be clear: There’s no magic here. Nor Divine intervention. Blind
confidence and determination also won’t do it.

So we have a democratic process with a high penalty for casting a ballot for
a party that can’t garner the support of 3.25% of the voters.

Fair or unfair that’s then rule.

And to be clear: the moment that the results are published the parties that
failed to reach the threshold will have no clout – at least until the next
elections.

So it comes down to this: is there a larger picture that transcends the
particulars of a specific party?

Is there a “camp” whose victory is important even if the party of choice can’t
reach the threshold?

Because if there is, then the responsible thing to do on election day is to
vote for a party that will clearly reach the threshold.

As for the decisions of the politicians in small parties during the coming
days:

If the purpose of the exercise is to run for the publicity and then pull out
before the vote that’s understandable.

Leaders of borderline parties actually intending to complete the elections
have a responsibility to find a way to merge so as to avoid burning votes
for their broader camp.

Final official results of the Elections for the Nineteenth Knesset - 2013
Total valid votes: 3,792,742
Parties that would not meet the current 3.25% threshold if it had been in
effect in 2013
Percent Vote Party
2.99% 113,439 Hadash
2.56% 97,030 National Democratic Assembly
2.08% 78,974 Kadima
1.76% 66,775 Otzma Leyisrael
1.20% 45,690 Am Shalem
1.15% 43,734 Green Leaf - Liberal List
0.74% 28,080 Eretz Hadasha
0.74% 28,049 Koach Lehashpia
0.50% 18,939 Hayisraelim
0.21% 8,117 The Green and Young
0.16% 5,975 Dor Bonei Haaretz
0.10% 3,640 Chaim Bekavod
0.09% 3,546 Da-am - Workers Party
0.08% 2,899 We Are Brothers
0.08% 2,877 Tzedek Hevrati
0.06% 2,176 Kulanu Haverim
0.05% 2,076 The Pirates
0.05% 1,972 The Economics Party
0.04% 1,352 Mitkademet Liberalit Democratit
0.03% 1,027 Light
0.02% 761 Brit Olam
0.02% 649 Hatikva Leshinui
0.01% 461 Moreshet Avot
Total votes cast for parties that would not have reached the 3.25% threshold
558,238

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA _______________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

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