Israel's October 29 double-envelope ballot count yielded a seat movement between two Arab-led parties without changing the reported coalition bloc totals.
The latest count and seat projection
An October 29 report citing figures released by Israel's Central Elections Committee at 4:57 p.m. local time said the count of double-envelope ballots was nearly complete. Ra’am rose to eight projected seats at the expense of the Joint List, which dropped to 11. The parties together still accounted for 19 projected seats. The broader provisional allocation continued to give 53 seats to the pro-Netanyahu bloc and 48 to the other anti-Netanyahu parties, meaning the Netanyahu-aligned group remained below the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. All figures remain subject to final official results.
Why the change could matter in coalition discussions
An unchanged bloc tally does not mean the detailed election outcome is politically irrelevant. Ra’am previously participated in a governing coalition in 2021 and has expressed interest in potential future government participation. However, gaining a projected seat is not a coalition agreement, and the final selection of a governing candidate depends on consultations and formal procedures after certified results. The updated count should therefore be understood as one movement within the distribution of parliamentary seats, not a conclusion about who will govern.
The remaining ballot and government-formation steps
The report said 392,234 double-envelope ballots had been counted and further processing was not yet finished. Such ballots include voters whose votes are handled through special procedures and can shift close party-seat allocations. Official results are expected to be provided to Israel's president in early November, after which consultations with party representatives begin. CDN News will distinguish the time of the reported count from the time of publication and treat all interim seat figures as provisional.
Sources & transparency
The Times of Israel — October 29 Central Elections Committee 4:57 p.m. double-envelope countJNS — October 29 partial count and coalition timetableOriginal CDN News coverage. Sources are linked for reference.
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