TEL AVIV, Israel — Two hours before polls closed, nearly three-quarters of Israeli voters had cast ballots in Tuesday's historic referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu — the highest level since 1988.

Why it matters: This looks like bad news for the incumbent prime minister.

Higher voter turnout will likely push several of the parties in his bloc below the electoral threshold — making it harder for the prime minister to reach a 61-seat majority in parliament.

An increase in turnout among Arab minority communities could lead to a record number of seats in parliament for them.

As in previous elections, Netanyahu has tried to energize his voters by making false claims about "Muslim Brotherhood supporters" of his opponents who are "stealing the elections."

State of play: After multiple reports of long lines at many polling stations across the country, the Central Elections Commission issued orders to expedite the voting process and clarified that any voter who arrives at a polling station by 10 pm local time will…