The counting of the soldier’s votes for the municipal elections is expected to have a significant difference in many of the municipalities across Israel. The votes of the soldier’s on base is counted today beginning at 8:00PM. Israel time. One of the cities in which their votes may have the greatest impact is that of Bnei Brak. In the close race that took place in Bnei Brak the Peleg faction known as “עץ” or Eitz, seems like it is set to lose one of the three seats it was supposed to have won in the election that took place yesterday.

The division of seats on the city council of Bnei Brak according to the election results this morning was as follows: United Torah Judaism won 16 mandates, Shas won 6, Eitz won three, the Likud won its first seat in a very long time in the city, and Eli Yishai’s Yachad party won only one seat.

However, the final allocation of seats on the council is not finalized until the counting of “double ballots” is done and the votes of the soldiers are counted. Both of those things take place the day after the counting of the votes from the general election. It is expected that the counting of these votes will negatively affect the Peleg faction as none of the soldiers are expected to have voted for them. According to a report in Kikar Shabbos, the Likud party in the city of Bnei Brak requires only an extra 40 votes to take the third seat away from Peleg.

Among the 300 soldiers’ votes that are to be counted in the city, the Likud believes that they for certain have more than 40 and thus will take the seat away from Peleg.

As the votes are being cancelled, fighting is breaking out as some are demanding it be videoed to ensure the votes are counted properly.

Video provided to YWN via בני ברקים:

Other cities where the voting of the soldiers is expected to have an effect and decide extra mandates for parties include Beit Shemesh and Efrat. In Beit Shemesh with the vote as close as it is between the two mayors, the votes of the soldiers are expected to sway the race for mayor of the city as well.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)