Israelis head to polls with open wallets as Election Day spending rises sharply from 2022 election

Voting in Israel's 26th Knesset elections is underway, and Israelis appear to be using the day off not only to exercise their democratic right but also to open their wallets, according to data released on Tuesday.

According to SHVA, the company that manages and develops Israel's national payment system, Israelis spent NIS 250.78 million using payment cards between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

The amount marks a significant increase in credit card spending compared to the previous Knesset elections.

Over 25% increase from 2022 elections

This is a 26.5% increase from the same three-hour period during the elections for the 25th Knesset on November 1, 2022, when spending totaled NIS 198.31 million.

Spending was also higher than during the local authority elections on January 30, 2024, when Israelis spent NIS 226.81 million in the same hours, a 10.6% increase.

The busiest minute of the morning was at 10:57 a.m., when Israelis spent NIS 2.39 million in 60 seconds, completing more than 11,300 transactions.