About 1000 Israeli seamen aboard 36 ships now at sea or at foreign ports voted for the next Knesset today, eight days in advance of the general elections to be held here May 17. They cast their ballots by authority of a special election law clause which permits voting aboard any Israeli vessel overseas in which there are at least 14 eligible voters.
The ballots will be mailed from foreign ports in time to reach the Central Elections Committee for counting on election day. Except for seamen, Israel provides no absentee ballots and its citizens living abroad cannot vote. Each ship was provided with a list of all parties participating in the elections and summaries of their platforms. The balloting is supervised by the ship’s captain and one seaman.
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