Campaign advertising is barred from appearing on buses and lighted billboards, and there are limits on the size of advertising in printed media. The law also bars the use of entertainment events or gifts to promote a candidacy. Each candidate is given 120 minutes of radio and television time to make their case, and special campaign advertisements are broadcast during the 21 days before the day of the election. Campaigns are also banned from using persons who were killed or injured in security-related activities without first getting the permission of the person or the surviving family. The law also places limits on the use of children under the age of 15 in campaigns.
Israeli elections receive public financing as well.
Individuals also may contribute to political campaigns. Candidates who receive less than 8 percent of the vote are required to pay back all public campaign funds, while those receiving up to 15 percent will have to pay back half. Election day is a holiday in Israel, and all citizens aged 18 or older on election day are eligible to vote. On February 6, 4.5 million Israelis will be eligible to vote, an increase of about 5 percent over those eligible in the 1999 elections. There are no absentee ballots in Israeli elections, and voting takes place only on Israeli soil with the exception of official Israeli envoys serving in overseas missions and members of the Israeli merchant marine.