Supreme Court Hears Likud Challenge to Real-Time Voter Reporting Ban

Israel's Supreme Court on Wednesday heard a petition from the Likud party challenging a decision by the Central Elections Committee chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, that prohibits party representatives at polling stations from reporting the identity of voters in real-time. The committee's decision aims to protect voter privacy, but the Likud argues it severely hinders their ability to manage election day operations and encourage undecided voters through apps like 'Elector'.

During the hearing, Likud's attorney, Ilan Bombach, asserted that Sohlberg's decision was made without authority and at a critical juncture, causing immense damage to the party's election preparations. Bombach stated the timing was "terrible," even calling it a "disaster." Justice Yael Willner interrupted, expressing disapproval of using such strong terms for what she considered a logistical issue, suggesting they be reserved for more horrific events. Despite this, Bombach maintained the decision inflicted "enormous and colossal damage" on Likud, emphasizing the party's years of investment in building a voter database and developing digital systems for election day, a practice he deemed legitimate and long-standing.

The Central Elections Committee's decision seeks to prevent information about a citizen's arrival at the polling station from becoming a surveillance tool for party mechanisms. The court's upcoming ruling will determine whether parties can continue using technology that allows them to track voters until the polls close.