The next president will be elected by secret ballot towards the end of May • The names of the candidates will be submitted up to two weeks before the vote.
Preparations for the presidential election begin
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The Knesset has begun preparations for the election of the next president in place of Reuven Rivlin.
Rivlin's term is due to end on July 9, and by law the next president must be elected between 90 and 30 days before the current president's term ends.
In a legal opinion issued yesterday by the Knesset Spokesman, Adv. Sagit Afik, among all 120 MKs, she stated that the exact election date should be set by the Knesset Speaker in consultation with his deputies.
The decision must be made no later than three weeks before the deadline.
The presidential election is likely to take place in late May or early June.
Up to two weeks before the vote, the names of the candidates will have to be submitted to the Speaker of the Knesset.
MKs are prohibited from supporting the selection of two candidates, and whoever does so - his name will be disqualified from the list of recommenders.
One week before the vote, the Speaker of the Knesset will have to inform the MKs of the names of the candidates and the names of the MKs who recommended them. .
Before the session begins, the Speaker of the Knesset will announce the names of the MKs who will be members of the polling committee.
At the end of the voting, the members of the ballot committee will count the votes, and the candidate who receives more than 61 votes will be chosen.
If no candidate received 61 votes, a re-election will be held in which the two candidates who received the largest number of votes will compete.
In this vote a majority of 61 will not be required but any majority will suffice.
If there is only one candidate in the presidential election, a vote will be taken for him or against him.
If the number of votes for him is greater - he will be elected.
Rivlin votes in the election in which he was elected president in 2014 Archive photo: Contact