Key Facts

• More than 70,000 people in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, were eligible to vote in local municipal elections.
• This is the first election in Gaza in over 20 years and is seen as a test or pilot vote.
• The elections are meant to politically link Gaza with the West Bank, seen as important for future statehood.
• Voter turnout by early afternoon was about 24.5%, with some polling stations busier than others.
• Israeli authorities blocked entry of standard election materials like ballot paper and ink into Gaza.
• The Palestinian election commission used makeshift materials, such as wooden ballot boxes and leftover blue ink from a vaccination campaign.
• Voters want their local councils to better manage basic services like water, roads, and electricity.
• President Mahmoud Abbas signed reforms last year to allow voting for individuals and require candidates to follow the Palestine Liberation Organization’s program, which rejects armed conflict and recognizes Israel.