Overview
- President Mahmoud Abbas announced a decree on Monday, June 15, 2026, scheduling legislative elections for November 2026 and a presidential vote in early 2027.
- The decree also changes electoral rules by requiring one in three list members to be women, lowering the minimum candidacy age to 23, and increasing PLC seats from 132 to 200.
- Major obstacles remain because Israel has not guaranteed voting in occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas and heavily damaged from recent fighting, any of which could block ballots there.
- No presidential election has been held since 2005 and the Palestinian Legislative Council has not met since 2007, leaving Abbas to govern largely by decree and prompting calls at home and abroad for reform.
- The November timetable includes Palestinian National Council voting for diaspora Palestinians and will hinge on negotiations with Israel and arrangements with Palestinian factions and international donors before the polls can be credible.