Palestine prepares for legislative elections in November 2026 to elect the third council
In short: After years of repeated delays and political fragmentation, Palestinian legislative elections are scheduled for November 28, 2026. This vote aims to select the third Palestinian Legislative Council, marking a significant attempt to restore representative governance to the Palestinian National Authority following a long period of internal division and postponed ballots.
The path to the 2026 election follows a history of failed attempts to hold national votes. The last legislative election occurred in January 2006, leading to a period of intense rivalry between the Fatah and Hamas factions. In 2007, violent conflict resulted in Hamas seizing control of Gaza, while Fatah maintained authority in the West Bank. Subsequent reconciliation efforts, including agreements in 2011, 2014, and 2017, repeatedly stalled, leaving the legislative body without a fresh mandate for two decades.
President Mahmoud Abbas, who has served since 2005, has frequently cited external obstacles for these delays. In 2021, a planned election was indefinitely postponed, with Abbas pointing to Israel's refusal to allow voting in East Jerusalem as the primary cause. This decision drew criticism from political rivals and international observers, including the European Union. Despite these challenges, public sentiment remains focused on internal stability; a June 2021 survey indicated that a significant majority of residents favored holding elections regardless of the status of voting in East Jerusalem.
For the upcoming 2026 vote, the electoral framework has undergone notable changes. The number of seats in the council has been expanded to 200, and the electoral threshold for parties has been reduced to 1%. Additionally, new regulations mandate that at least one-third of the candidates on any electoral list must be women, and the minimum age for candidates has been lowered to 23. Recent polling from August 2026 highlights that voters are primarily concerned with unifying the West Bank and Gaza, ending the ongoing violence, and addressing the severe economic crisis.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 Palestinian legislative election
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