Jerusalem, Oct. 27 -- As the polling in the nail-biting Israeli elections continues, voter participation reached a record-shattering 55.7% by 4 PM local time, according to official figures released by the Central Elections Committee.

The late-afternoon turnout reflects a sharp 8.2 percentage-point increase over the 47.5% recorded at the same hour during the 2022 general election.

According to election authorities, the 55.7% figure marks the highest voter turnout ever recorded at 4 PM since the Central Elections Committee first began tracking hourly participation metrics in 1973.

The surging mid-day participation continues an unprecedented trend seen throughout election day, with polling stations across the country reporting long queues...