As the process of counting the remaining 270,000 votes – those of the IDF soldiers, hospitals and prisons – continues on Thursday, it appears there may be some significant changes.

The New Right party, headed by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, now seems to be teetering on the brink of the electoral threshold.

On Wednesday, with more than 95 percent of the vote counted, the New Right had only reached 3.14 percent of the vote, or some 4,300 votes under the electoral threshold of 3.25 percent of the vote. According to the update released at 6:28AM on Thursday, New Right had crept up to 3.22percent, just 0.03% short of its target that would lift it from no seats to four seats.

A member of the Central Elections Committee, Avraham Weber, said on Army Radio: “The electoral threshold has increased, so the New Right apparently does not pass due to a shortage of 1,000 votes.”

While leaving his home in Ra’anana on Thursday, Bennet told reporters: “I am praying to G-d and fighting for every vote.”

השר נפתלי בנט על הדרמה בוועדת הבחירות: "מתפלל לכל קול"@moranshechnick pic.twitter.com/JlNSEDS2el

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 11, 2019

An official announcement of the updated vote count is expected later on Thursday.

According to Dr. Camil Fuchs, a leading pollsters, the New Right crossing the electoral threshold can affect as many as 8 seats.

Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party would drop from 35 seats to 33, Yahadut Hatorah would drop from 8 to 7 seats, and the United Right would drop from 5 to 4 seats.

With Likud remaining at 35 seats, Shas at 8, Yisrael Beitenu at 5, Kulanu at 4 and now the 4 from the New Right, Prime Minister would have a right-wing coalition of 67. This would also permit establishing a narrow coalition without Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party, who has been the source of contention with the Chareidi parties.

In addition, it appears that Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut party will still not pass the threshold. As of the last update, it received only 2.76 percent of the vote.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)