It could be weeks or months before the winner of Israel's election is known

Polling stations in Israel will close on Tuesday evening, but it could be weeks before Benjamin Netanyahu or one of his opponents will be declared the next prime minister. It might even require another election.That's because Israelis vote for parties and not candidates. None of the several main parties is expected to win anywhere close to a 61-seat majority in Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset. So the next prime minister will have to cobble together a coalition.Polls show a tight race between coalitions supporting Netanyahu and his main opponent, retired Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. In the end, both could fall short of a 61-seat majority, meaning another election would be held in the coming months with Netanyahu's government staying on as a caretaker.Here's a look at the process.Shortly after polls close at 10 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), Israel's three main television broadcasters will release exit polls estimating how many seats were won by each party.The exit polls usually provide a good indication of how people have voted. But they also could vary and may not be borne out by the official results, which will be released in the coming days. The Associated Press calls thousands of ...