The Palestinian legislative elections on 28 November 2026 will be the first national legislative vote in 20 years, and candidate nominations close on 7 October. Al Jazeera reports that about 1.24 million Palestinians in Gaza are eligible to vote, with jobs and security their top concerns.
Key points
- How the vote was called
- The election timetable
- What voters say they want
- The obstacles to a credible vote
- What to watch next
- Questions about the Palestinian elections
How the vote was called
President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on 9 July 2026 setting the date, covering the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, as Al Jazeera reported at the time. The last legislative election was in 2006, which Hamas won, leading to the split with Fatah and Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007. Abbas has ruled by decree for more than 15 years despite being elected in 2005 to a four-year term, the same report notes.
The election timetable
Anadolu Agency’s account of the Central Elections Commission timetable says nominations run from 26 September to 7 October, campaigning starts on 6 November and ends with electoral silence on 27 November, security-force early voting is on 26 November and general voting on 28 November. Preliminary results are due within 24 hours, with final tallies within two weeks after appeals. The decree also raised council seats from 132 to 200 and lowered the candidacy age from 28 to 23, per the same timetable report.
What voters say they want
Al Jazeera quotes Ahmad Mohsen, 24, in Gaza: “The first thing I want is to be able to find a stable job with a decent salary so I can support myself and my family, and the second thing is to have security.” The report puts unemployment in Gaza at roughly 80 percent and links the vote to reconstruction after a three-year war that killed more than 74,000 Palestinians.
The obstacles to a credible vote
Al Jazeera’s July coverage lists three: Israel would have to allow voting in occupied East Jerusalem, as it blocked in 2021; Gaza faces destruction and displacement affecting nearly all 2.1 million residents; and population registries need updating. Correspondent Nour Odeh said France, Saudi Arabia and others want reform of the Palestinian Authority, which helps explain the timing. Whether those conditions can be met before 28 November is unresolved.
Other elections are shaping the week too; see our reports on Brazil’s presidential vote and Serbia’s early election.
What to watch next
Watch the end of the nomination window on 7 October, which parties and independents register, and whether Israel and the Palestinian authorities agree on voting arrangements in East Jerusalem and Gaza.
Questions about the Palestinian elections
When are the elections?
General voting is on 28 November 2026, with early voting for security forces on 26 November.
Why do they matter?
They are the first Palestinian legislative elections since 2006.
How many voters are in Gaza?
About 1.24 million, according to Al Jazeera.
What changed in the rules?
Council seats rise from 132 to 200 and the candidacy age falls from 28 to 23, per Anadolu.
When are results expected?
Preliminary results within 24 hours; final tallies within two weeks after appeals.
Our world section will follow the nomination list when it is published, and our Sudan conflict report covers another humanitarian crisis.