Excess votes in the national election may be shared with another party, by written agreement. A party winning 10 seats, for example, but having a thousand excess votes, may agree with another party to transfer its excess votes to the other party, in order for the second party to possibly gain an extra seat. The agreement usually stipulates that the party with the most excess votes of the two will get the excess votes of the other party. For example, if each seat requires 15,000 votes, and the Mafdal receives 12,000 excess votes and Agudah receives 4,000 excess votes, and they had an excess vote agreement, the Mafdal would get an extra seat. Unfortunately, in the past, religious parties often refused to make excess vote agreements with each other and many Orthodox votes were lost. If no agreement is made, the excess votes will go to the party with the largest number of votes.
Some lesser-known political parties include:
New Zionists – for Holocaust survivors.
Gil – For retirees and their rights.
Chazit – To transfer enemies of Israel and avenge each murder of a Jew.
Halev – To fight the Israel banking system
Lechem – To improve the sociological standing of the poor.
Atid Achad – To allow the Falashmura (Ethiopian Jews who converted to Christianity out of fear) to come to Israel.
Tafnit – To fight corruption.
Daam Workers – The workers building the new Knesset building.
Aleh Yarok – To legalize “soft” drugs.
Lev Olim – For Bukharian Jews.
Otzma Power to the Slums – We will show everyone.
Chetz – To fight religion and religious coercion.
Cherut – To encourage Arabs to emigrate to Arab countries.
Four Arab parties – Arab Nationalists, Chadash, Balad and Raam.
Green – Environmentalists.
Brit Olam – To bring peace between Arabs and Jews.
There is a party for everyone. Now is the time to come live in Israel and be a part of this exciting way of life.