Israeli conservative parties lose last-ditch bid to extend voting

Israeli election officials rejected a last-ditch effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and its conservative allies to extend voting hours Tuesday, as record turnout fueled concerns within the ruling coalition about its prospects in the country’s first national election since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.

Likud petitioned the Central Election Committee to keep polling stations open beyond their scheduled 10 p.m. closing time. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party joined the request, citing unusually long lines and warning that voters could be prevented from casting ballots before polls closed.