More states may even follow Illinois's lead by halting executions until new safeguards are put in place.

ECONOMIST: Election Briefing: Death penalty

Whoever takes Mr Purcell's place will have to be capable of halting the defections.

ECONOMIST: UnfulPhilled

In unexpected outcome, the centrist Yesh Atid party, which campaigned on a platform of helping the middle class and halting military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox civilians, came in second place with at least 18 seats, according to exit polls.

CNN: Barak: Israeli coalition difficult to predict

But the Yesh Atid party, a centrist movement devoted to helping the middle class and halting military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox civilians, came in a surprising second place with 19 seats, according to two exit polls, and 18, according to a third.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS