'Don't feel like waiting': Voters complain of long lines at polling stations amid historic turnout

Voters are facing long waits at polling stations, including in small communities along the Gaza border.

"Well, I don't feel like waiting. I'll come back in the evening," said A., who waited 45 minutes before leaving the polling station.

"One at a time," a security guard at a polling station in Ofakim told a group that appeared to be members of the same family.

"Dad, can I come with you?" asked a girl of about eight as she stood in line.

"No," her father replied. "You have to go into the voting booth alone."

Election Day has drawn tens of thousands of people to polling stations, shopping centers, and entertainment centers.

At the new shopping center in Ofakim, home to the Rachela restaurant that made headlines after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his entourage visited, every business is open and packed with customers.

The supermarket, part of a major chain, is bustling, as are the electrical appliance store, the nuts and sweets shop and the baby products store. Residents are making the most of Election Day, both to cast their ballots for the Knesset and to shop for groceries, electrical appliances and baby cribs.

The corner café, which also operates a bakery, is packed with customers. The usually short line at the cashier stretches as shoppers clutch bags filled with baked goods, cakes, yeast pastries and colorful cookies.

Around midday, a family with three children enters the café. Their political allegiance is immediately apparent: The children's shirts feature a ballot slip bearing their preferred party's letters.

At a small table in the outdoor seating area, another family sits close together as the father explains the meaning of democracy to his daughter.

Political discussions can be heard at almost every table, with conversations covering a range of topics, including the conduct of outgoing ministers and Knesset members.

"I'm waiting for a call to drive someone to a polling station," said one of those seated at a table.

"Are rides to polling stations still a thing?" someone asked.

"Apparently so," the driver replied.

Bribing others to vote for certain parties

Meanwhile, updates about events in communities across the region are circulating through every available channel, including WhatsApp, text messages, email and social media.

One woman shared an unusual account from Yeruham, along with a phone number. When contacted, the woman on the other end of the line spoke with an accent suggesting she was originally from one of the former Soviet republics.

"Before we went into the polling station, I was offered 500 shekels to vote for a certain party. Of course I didn't agree."

Near a polling station next to a high school, a woman with a megaphone makes a final effort to convince passersby to vote for her preferred party.

In her view, it is the only party worth supporting. She considers the others to be people who understand nothing and undermine efforts to manage affairs properly.

The polling station itself, in the meantime, is packed with voters.