Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party may have won Tuesday's elections but it has yet to secure a solid majority in terms of potential coalition partners that would enable it to gain the 61 seats necessary to form a government.
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The final tally is expected by Friday, but the numbers are updated as vote-counting proceeds, so a clearer picture will emerge as exit polls give way to results.
After the results are published, President Reuven Rivlin will consult with party leaders about their preference for prime minister.
By April 7, he is expected to choose the legislator with the best chance of putting together a coalition, but that won't necessarily be the leader of the largest party or political bloc.
That legislator will then have 28 days to convince potential coalition partners to join their new government and agree on a number of guiding principles as well as which party will be tasked with heading this or that ministry.
While the president has the option to offer a 14-day extension to form a coalition government, he is not obligated to do so.
If no party leader can be found that is able to cobble together a coalition, the Knesset will disperse, and the country will head to its fourth election in 90 days' time.
In the hope of avoiding such a scenario, a minimum of 61 lawmakers could submit a written request to the president asking him to provide another lawmaker 14 days to try and form a government.
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