Q&A: Israel's election process

The legacy of Ariel Sharon is a major factor in the elections

Israel will hold early elections on 28 March for the country's parliament, the Knesset.

Who can vote?

Israeli citizens aged 18 or over are entitled to vote. Just over five million voters have registered to cast their ballot at any of 8,000 polling stations.

There are also 92 polling stations in other countries for voters outside Israel.

Voter turnout in the last elections in 2003 was just under 70% of eligible voters, well below the average turnout in previous polls.

All elections are held on the same day at the same time, and the day of the election is always a national holiday.

How does the voting work?

Members of the Knesset (MKs) are chosen by proportional representation.

In other words, voters vote for a party list rather than a specific candidate, and the number of the party's candidates who become MKs depends on how many votes their list receives.

According to Israeli Election Commission, 31 parties have registered to take part in the 28 March elections.

Less than half of these parties are expected to exceed the threshold of two percent of the national vote required to have a member in the Knesset.

How are Knesset members chosen?

Candidates are allocated seats according to the order in which they appear on the their party's list.

The head of the list is often the leader of the party and seen as the party's candidate for prime minister.

For example, current acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert heads the Kadima party list, while the head of the rival Likud party list is premiership hopeful Binyamin Netanyahu.

Polls indicate that none of the three main parties - Kadima, Likud and Labour - will come near to the total of 61 seats required for an outright majority.

Such a situation would in fact be unprecedented as Israel has always been ruled by coalition governments.

What happens after the vote?

Preliminary results taken from exit polls are expected on the evening of the vote, while reliable, unofficial results are likely to be announced the following day.

Within seven days of the vote, Israeli President Moshe Katsav is required to ask a member of the new Knesset, usually the leader of the party with the largest representation, to form a new government.

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