Weekly Commentary: Feiglin Precedent - Candidates of Entire List Resign to
Avoid Burning Votes
Dr. Aaron Lerner 9 September 2026

On 31 July 2019, Moshe Feiglin's Zehut party submitted a list of candidates
for the 22nd Knesset elections to the Central Elections Committee.

On 3 September 2019, the entire list of Zehut candidates submitted their
resignations from their candidacies to the chairman of the Central Elections
Committee in accordance with Section 87(a) of the Knesset Elections Law,
which provides that a candidate may resign at any time.

On 17 September 2019, elections were held, and since the entire Zehut list
had resigned, there wasn't a Zehut slip in the voting booths for voters to
select.

That's right.

Zehut pulled out only two weeks before the elections.

We have a 3.25% threshold in our elections.

If a list receives less than 3.25% of all valid votes in the elections, then
the list has no representation in the Knesset and its votes do not count in
the allocation of Knesset seats.

"Burned votes."

Considerable pressure was exerted on people from lists which might burn
votes not to register to run in the elections.

But I can understand that the leaders of those lists felt that it was
premature to pull out of the race.

That they wanted to see how they do after the public knows who is actually
running in the elections.

Our elections will be held on 27 October 2026.

There is still time for lists to claw their way up in public opinion.

But if, as we approach Election Day, a list sees - via extensive polling -
that there is a significant possibility that it will burn votes, then it
owes it to its supporters to resign from the race so that its supporters
don't burn their votes.
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