I was never meant to spend my morning on election day in Tur’an, much less be in Tur’an at all. But in doing so, I was afforded insight into a demographic and input about the election from people whom I never would have met or interacted with. Especially talking politics with the 70-year-old man with one tooth.

I had been traveling across the Galilee for over a week with our group of Christian volunteers harvesting olives and making oil as part of Root & Branch. Other than a meaningful olive harvest pilgrimage that connects Christian visitors to the Land and the people in really meaningful ways, I found myself connecting with other Israelis outside my Judean mountain bubble throughout the week.

Israel’s electoral system is unique. There is no early voting. There is no absentee ballot. You vote for a party for parliament, not a candidate for a specific office. You must show ID, which is checked at the polling station at least twice. And you cannot vote outside your own home polling station except with a very slight exception.

Not unique, but noteworthy especially in the face of the accusations that Israel is an apartheid state, all Israeli Arab citizens – roughly 20 percent of the country – have an equal voice and vote. And because I spent 10 days across the Galilee with its large Arab population, I had several spontaneous interactions with Israeli Arabs.

I thought that because I was traveling with a group, I would be allowed to vote in another polling station near where I was staying. I arrived before the polling station opened and waited behind four others — along with two members of my group – who had arrived before me. When my turn came, I was told I was wrong. Not the first time being wrong about something, but frustrating all the same.

Since voting in a democracy is a privilege, and voting in the Jewish state whose sovereignty was only restored 78 years ago is a historic opportunity still even though I have voted in several Israeli elections since 2004, there was no way I was going to miss my opportunity to vote. Regrettably, I was left with the only option to drive 2.5 hours home, and then back to the Galilee, all in the same day, just to exercise my right........

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