Over 90% of first-time voters intend to cast ballots in election this year, poll finds

Over 90% of first-time voters intend to cast ballots in the election this year, an Israel Democracy Index poll finds, indicating that Israel’s young adult demographic holds the democratic process in high regard.

The results do not change significantly when separated into Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis, with 63% of Jewish respondents and 62% of Arab respondents answering that they will definitely be voting. An additional 29% of Jewish Israelis and 25% of Arab Israelis say they think they will vote.

The survey was conducted in May by the Israel Democracy Institute’s Education Policy for Democracy program with 576 respondents between the ages of 18 and 22, meaning that the upcoming election will be the first time they are old enough to vote.

Sixty-three percent of respondents tell IDI that they definitely intend to vote in the election, which must be held no later than October 27, while an additional 28% say they think they will vote.

Driving the high motivation to vote appears to be belief in the ability of the election to shape life in Israel going forward, as 82% of participants respond that voting could influence reality “to a fairly great extent” or “to a very great extent.”

Just 15% of first-time voters say the election will impact Israel “to a fairly small extent” or “not at all,” while the remaining three percent say they didn’t know.

Optimism about the impact that voting can have is higher among Jewish Israelis (85%) than Arab Israelis (75%).

According to IDI, the increased skepticism among Arab Israelis is tied to perceptions of limited influence and insufficient representation. Many of Israel’s larger political parties, both those currently in government and those in the opposition, have ruled out the inclusion of Arab parties in a future coalition, though some have Arab members.

Across Jewish respondents of all religious backgrounds, between 88% and 95% of respondents believed that voting could have a “fairly great” or “very great” impact on reality in Israel, with the exception of Haredi respondents, among whom just 63% answered as such.

According to IDI, pessimism among Jewish voters stems largely from distrust of the political system and a sense that political actors are insufficiently responsive.