---
title: "Updated Israel Election Exit Polls: Netanyahu’s Bloc Takes the Lead, but Channels Differ on Numbers"
description: "Updated Knesset election exit polls showed that Netanyahu's bloc secured 52 mandates according to Channel 12, while Kann 11 and Channel 13 recorded a 51-51 tie. Turnout reached 77.7% — the highest since 1999."
date: 2026-10-28T01:37:02.528Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/israel-election-exit-polls-2026-netanyahu-lead
tags: [israel-elections, netanyahu, knesset, exit-polls, eisenkot, yashar-party, likud]
author: "Marina Slivenko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Updated Israel Election Exit Polls: Netanyahu’s Bloc Takes the Lead, but Channels Differ on Numbers

![Portraits of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot against an Israeli symbols background](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/28/izrailevy-vybory-ekzit-poly-2026-blok-netanjahu-vperyod/izrailevy-vybory-ekzit-poly-2026-blok-netanjahu-vperyod-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Channel 12's updated exit poll shows 52 mandates for Netanyahu's bloc against 49–50 for Eisenkot's bloc; Kann 11 and Channel 13 record a 51-51 tie
- For several hours after polls closed, Netanyahu's bloc held second place, pointing to significant dynamics during the count
- Israel's CEC has counted over 300,000 of the 7.3 million ballots: Likud — 27.75%, Yashar — 16.34%
- Turnout reached 77.7% — the highest figure since 1999 and 7.1 percentage points higher than in 2022

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, early parliamentary elections were held in Israel. The initial exit polls published immediately after the polling stations closed painted one picture of the mandate distribution between the two main political blocs. However, updated data released late into the night on October 28 significantly altered the balance of forces. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing The Times of Israel.

### Leadership Change: Netanyahu's Bloc Takes the Lead

According to an updated exit poll by Channel 12, the bloc of parties led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won 52 mandates, taking first place in the Knesset. Just a few hours earlier, immediately after the polls closed, this same bloc was in second place behind its opponents. Conversely, the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, head of the 'Yashar' party, slipped: its result was initially estimated at 50 seats, but according to the latest data, it stands at 49.

### Other Channels Record a 51-Seat Tie

Exit polls from other television channels show a more balanced picture. According to Kann 11, both the government and opposition blocs receive 51 mandates each. An updated exit poll by Channel 13 also records a 51-51 result, although the vote distribution among individual parties within the blocs differs slightly from Channel 12's figures. Thus, none of the sources recorded a stable lead of one bloc over the other by more than two or three mandates, and the initial picture showing Netanyahu's bloc lagging behind proved temporary.

### First CEC Counts: Likud — 27.75%, Yashar — 16.34%

The Central Election Commission of Israel has already begun publishing the first official vote counts on its website. Out of more than 7.3 million ballots cast, just over 300,000 have been counted at the time of publication. According to these preliminary figures, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is garnering 27.75 percent of the vote, while Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party stands at 16.34 percent. It is emphasized that this is only the beginning of the count, and the final distribution of mandates between the blocs may differ from the exit polls.

### Record Turnout Since 1999

Voter turnout in the October 27 elections was 77.7 percent, which is 7.1 percentage points higher than the 2022 election figure. This is the highest turnout in Israel since 1999, indicating high political mobilization among voters and showing that the issue of the future government is perceived by society as extremely significant.

### Key Question: Will Netanyahu Retain Power?

The central question of these elections is whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to form a coalition and retain the post of head of government. The spread in exit polls between 51 and 52 mandates for Netanyahu's bloc and 49–51 mandates for Eisenkot's bloc means that neither side holds an outright majority of 61 mandates. The final configuration of the Knesset and the possibility of forming a government will depend on the results of smaller parties and coalition negotiations, which are expected to begin after the CEC completes the full vote count.

## Accounts differ

### Mandate distribution between Netanyahu's bloc and Eisenkot's bloc based on updated exit polls

- **Channel 12 (updated exit poll):** Netanyahu's bloc wins 52 mandates, Eisenkot's bloc gets 50 seats (latest data shows 49) ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viborah-izrayili-onovili-ekzit-poli-blok-1793150357.html))
- **Kann 11 (exit poll):** Both blocs receive 51 mandates each ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viborah-izrayili-onovili-ekzit-poli-blok-1793150357.html))
- **Channel 13 (updated exit poll):** Both blocs receive 51 mandates each, while vote distribution among individual parties within the blocs differs slightly from Channel 12 data ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viborah-izrayili-onovili-ekzit-poli-blok-1793150357.html))

*Where they agree:* Both blocs are within 1–3 mandates of each other; no source records a stable majority for either side; elections took place on October 27, 2026

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [На выборах в Израиле обновили экзит-полы: блок Нетаньяху вырывается вперед](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viborah-izrayili-onovili-ekzit-poli-blok-1793150357.html) - The sole provided source. Figures from Channel 12, Kann 11, and Channel 13 exit polls are reported as statements by the respective television channels. CEC data (300k out of 7.3m) represents a partial count. Final results have not been published.

## FAQ

### What results do the updated exit polls show?

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu's bloc wins 52 mandates, and Eisenkot's bloc gets 49–50. Kann 11 and Channel 13 record a tie: 51 mandates for each bloc. No source shows a stable lead of more than two or three mandates.

### What was the voter turnout?

Turnout was 77.7 percent, which is 7.1 percentage points higher than the 2022 figure and the highest result since 1999.

### How many ballots has the CEC counted so far?

At the time of publication, Israel's Central Election Commission has counted just over 300,000 out of more than 7.3 million ballots. According to these figures, Likud is winning 27.75 percent, and Yashar is at 16.34 percent.

### Will Netanyahu be able to retain power?

Neither bloc holds an outright majority of 61 mandates according to exit polls. The outcome will depend on the results of minor parties and coalition negotiations after the full vote count is completed.