Mayor Nitzan Peleg initiated the contest, after he decided his region's current name had negative connotations in Hebrew.
The Hebrew name of Lower Galilee (Galil Tachton) can also be translated as bottom roll, as in toilet paper. Tachton also refers to underwear and a human behind. Galil is close to the Hebrew word glalim, or animal feces. Tachton is also often used to describe something as inferior or at the bottom end of a scale.
More than 3700 residents aged 16 and over voted digitally. Sha'ar Hagalil received 1390 votes, followed by Sdot Hagalil (Fields of the Galilee), which received 1064 votes, Mevo Hagalil (Entrance to the Galilee) with 689 and Eretz Hagalil (Land of the Galilee) with 557.
The four options were narrowed down from a much broader number put forward by representatives of the communities in the council.