Barkat camp spooked by low turnout

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, once thought a shoo-in to cruise to his second term, is telling supporters he is worried over the low turnout and urging voters to the poll, Army Radio reports.

His opponent, Moshe Lion, is backed by the ultra-Orthodox Shas, which is usually able to muster large numbers of voters, though several preelection polls showed Lion losing by at least 20 percentage points.

A group of Barkat canvassers, who visited The Times of Israel this afternoon, said they had been told by the Barkat camp that he needs 56% turnout to win.

As of 4 p.m., turnout in the capital stood at only 18 percent, though many voters who worked Tuesday have not yet had the chance to cast a ballot.

Election officials say they expect turnout numbers to jump in the last few hours.