Israel conducts local government elections

Israelis voted Tuesday for mayors and other local officials in 191 local government elections. Voters will be electing mayors as well as municipal councils in the local-government balloting, Haaretz reported. Polls indicated incumbent mayors Ron Huldai in Tel Aviv, Yona Yahav in Haifa and Ruvik Danilovich in Be'er Sheva would retain their offices. Police officials said law enforcement authorities have received about 500 elections-related complaints, including grievances concerning prohibited election propaganda, disturbances at polling stations and illegally hung posters. In Haifa and Tel Aviv, mayoral candidates reported a lack of voting slips, a candidate's name misspelled or finding fake voting slips in the booths, Haaretz said. In East Jerusalem, most Palestinian residents boycotted the elections and those who did vote reported a lack of organization at the polls. Some residents said their names were not listed on voter rolls while others said they were notified that their polling station moved. Residents of Arab towns in northern Israel reported crowded polling booths and high voter turnout, Haaretz said.