Following the departure of Ehud Barak from the membership and leadership of the Israeli Labor Party, a leadership election was called.
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First round
The first round was held on September 12.
According to Israel Army Radio, turnout of voting Labor Party members was at 65%. None of the candidates received at least 40% of the votes, thus ruling out Herzog and Mitzna and sending Yachimovich and Peretz into a second round.
Second round
The second round was held on September 21:
In comparison to the first round, only 61% of Labor members, or 16,272 people, voted at any of the 171 poll stations throughout the country; only 55% of Arab Labor members participated in the election. Yachimovich was thus elected leader of the party, becoming the second female leader of the party since Golda Meir, who was elected leader of Mapai in 1969 and automatically became leader of the Labor Party upon the merger of Mapai with Rafi and Ahdut HaAvoda.