Israel Election: Final Results Delayed Until Friday

Final results from Israel's extremely contested parliamentary elections are now expected on Friday, according to Bulgarian news outlet Dnevnik. The delay is due to the counting of so-called "double envelopes", a process which is only beginning this evening.

Dnevnik reported on Wednesday that these double envelopes may contain up to 650,000 individual ballots. This figure represents a substantial number of votes, and it underscores the importance of this final stage of the count. The counting of these envelopes is more complex than the standard procedure, as each envelope must be opened and verified before the ballot inside can be added to the tally.

The double envelopes are used for votes cast under special circumstances, though the report did not specify exactly which categories of voters are included in this batch. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of ballots means that the final outcome of the election could still be affected.

Once all double envelope ballots have been counted, the final results will be published. Until then, the distribution of seats in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, remains uncertain. The elections were described by Dnevnik as "extremely contested", highlighting the potential for these ballots to change the balance of power.

Israeli election officials have not yet announced an exact time for the final results on Friday. The start of the double envelope count this evening marks the last major step in the electoral process, and citizens and politicians alike will be waiting for the final numbers.