For Israeli actress and content creator Yovelle Rich, 29, moving to California presented an unexpected problem: She would be thousands of miles from home when Israel holds its parliamentary election on October 27, with no way to vote from the United States. Instead of accepting that she would miss the election, she turned to crowdfunding, raising 8,900 shekels to finance a whirlwind trip to Israel, where she plans to cast her ballot and fly back the same night.
Unlike citizens of many other democracies, most Israelis living or traveling abroad cannot vote at embassies, consulates or by mail. Israeli law allows only limited exceptions, primarily for government employees, representatives of certain national institutions and eligible family members stationed overseas. For other Israelis who want to participate, returning to Israel is generally the only option.
Yovelle Rich
Rich, who recently relocated to Berkeley with her husband, said the election was among her first concerns when he received a job offer in California. "The first thing that went through my mind was, 'Oh my God, I'm not going to be in Israel for the election!'" she recalled. She considered delaying her departure by a month but could not afford to maintain an apartment in Tel Aviv without working. Nor could she commit to a new job before leaving.
The couple moved after her husband, a technology professional, was offered a position in artificial intelligence safety at a Berkeley-based company. Rich compared the opportunity to being offered a role in a Hollywood film and said she was excited for him, even though the move meant putting her own career on hold. She hopes to take acting classes in English, create Hebrew-language content about life in California or find work within the local Jewish community. The couple intend to return to Israel eventually.
Born during Israel's 50th year of independence, which inspired her unusual first name, Rich grew up in a religious family in Rehovot and now identifies as traditional. She knew from the age of five that she wanted to become an actress, eventually studying acting at Kibbutzim College and earning a degree in theater education. Before moving abroad, she performed in fringe theater productions, attended auditions, taught theater and worked in social media.
Her relationship with her husband began after a friend unsuccessfully tried to introduce them. He later approached her independently on a dating app, unaware of the earlier matchmaking attempt. They married in a small ceremony a year and a half ago, but have scheduled and canceled their wedding celebration three times because of missile attacks from Iran.
A crowdfunding campaign for a single vote
Determined to find a way to participate in the election, Rich came across Fly & Vote, an initiative providing information about flights to Israel for overseas voters. Initially, she mistakenly believed it might help finance her journey. Instead, she discovered that the initiative only provided travel information.
Several days later, she received details about a flight from New York that would arrive in Israel on election morning and depart later that night. She joked with a friend living abroad that she would take the trip if she could afford it. Then she began wondering whether strangers might be willing to contribute.
"If every vote counts, maybe people could help me pay for the flight?" she recalled thinking.
To attract attention, Rich decided to turn the journey into a social media project. She called it "I Voted and Flew," promising to travel to Israel, vote and return to California without even bringing a suitcase. She submitted the idea to the Give Back crowdfunding platform, recorded an Instagram video explaining her plan and asked friends and relatives to share it.
The response surprised her. The campaign raised 8,900 shekels, including several substantial anonymous donations, enough to make the trip possible. "I was amazed that people got behind my crazy idea and that I'm actually going to make this journey," she said.
‘If you left Israel, you have no right to vote’
Not everyone welcomed the campaign. Alongside donations and encouragement, Rich received criticism from Israelis who questioned why someone who had moved abroad should be raising money to participate in an election back home.
Some accused her of staging a publicity stunt, while others challenged her right to vote. One commenter told her that anyone who had left Israel no longer deserved a say in its elections. Another suggested that Israelis who emigrated were enjoying comfortable lives abroad while returning to influence political decisions affecting those who remained. Others made hostile assumptions about which party she intended to support.
Rich rejected the criticism, explaining that she had lived in Israel throughout the recent years of war and had only just relocated to California. "I was in Israel during the war. I'm planning to return, and I'm certainly not living the good life," she said. "I currently have no income, and we're living in a temporary apartment with roommates."
She acknowledged that asking strangers to fund an international flight simply to vote might seem excessive, but said she was genuinely surprised by the support the idea received.
With her ticket now booked, Rich plans to land in Israel on the morning of October 27, vote and depart during the night between October 27 and 28. She intends to donate the several hundred shekels remaining from the campaign to Make-A-Wish, a charity supporting children with serious illnesses.
For now, she is hoping that no last-minute complications interfere with the journey. "I believe that the moment I put the envelope into the ballot box, I'll feel satisfaction and pride," she said.
"Israel is my home, even if I don't live there for a while. I want to encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote. And one more thing: Say what you want out loud. You never know where it might lead."