The Central Elections Committee has prohibited party representatives at polling stations from reporting who has voted, dealing a blow to Haredi parties that rely on real-time turnout data to mobilize voters. Likud, Shas, and United Torah Judaism responded by arguing that the practice does not violate the law, according to Eli Hirschman (N12).
The Central Elections Committee ruled Tuesday that party representatives at polling stations may no longer report the identities of voters who have cast their ballots. The decision deals a significant blow to Haredi parties that rely on real-time turnout data to mobilize voters. In response, Likud, Shas, and United Torah Judaism argued that the practice does not violate the law, according to Eli Hirschman (N12).
The move is the latest in a series of escalating restrictions on reporting voter identities. Earlier Tuesday, the committee's chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, had already prohibited the use of incentive-based apps to report voter identities, citing privacy concerns. The ban was then extended to include polling committee members and observers. The committee's cumulative actions effectively dismantle the get-out-the-vote operation that Haredi parties have long used to identify lagging voters and send them to the polls.
As The Zioneer reported Tuesday, the ban on reporting voter identities particularly hinders Haredi parties' election-day mobilization efforts. The committee's earlier ban on incentive apps had already been covered by The Zioneer. The Haredi parties' argument that the practice is not illegal sets the stage for a potential legal challenge, though it remains unclear whether the committee will enforce the ban through sanctions or if the Knesset will seek legislative clarification.
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Source and signal
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