8 PM Update: As of 8 PM on Israeli election day, voter turnout is at 61.3%.
Arab voter turnout is increasing.
3,884,636 people have voted so far.
6 PM Update: As of 6 PM on Israeli election day, voter turnout is at its fourth lowest level in Israeli history. 53% of eligible voters have voted so far. Voter turnout has been low all day long.
At this time of day, in the 2015 election, Arab participation stood at 35% of the eligible Arab voters. Today, the Arab vote stands at 20%. Besides being a rejection of the breakup of the Joint Arab List, pollster Kamil Fuchs believes this can erase one of the two Arab slates.
According to 0404, votes in the right-wing strongholds are 20% lower than previous years by this time of day.
59% of soldiers have voted, as of 6 PM.
3,296,252 people have voted so far.
4 PM Update: As of 4 PM on Israeli election day, voter turnout is at its third lowest level in Israeli history. Only 42.8% of eligible voters have voted so far. Voter turnout has been low all day long.
2,715,462 people have voted so far.
The lowest turnout in Israeli history by 4PM was the vote for the 17th Knesset, in the year 2006. At 4PM, only 39% of Israeli voters turned out to vote in that election.
The 17th Knesset was led by Ehud Olmert of Kadima party, which had been formed by Ariel Sharon after the Disengagement from Gaza. The Likud was nearly wiped out in that election, with only 12 seats.
The polls close at 10 PM, at which point the votes will begin to be counted.
The percentage of voters can still turn around. As election day was also a vacation day, people may vote when they get back home after spending the day out with their families.
Netanyahu called for an emergency Likud meeting in light of the low turnout.
There are reports that voter turnout in settlements, and in particular, the Arab sector, are lower than usual.
