Likud Petitions Supreme Court Over Election Watch Ban

The Likud party has petitioned Israel's Supreme Court, challenging a decision by the Central Elections Committee chairman to prohibit party representatives at polling stations from updating in real-time which voters have cast their ballots. Likud argues this ban severely harms their electoral efforts, with their attorney, Ilan Bombach, stating it is akin to a "terror attack" that "destroys the election" for the party. Supreme Court justices questioned the legal basis for the previous practice of tracking voter turnout in real-time.

During the hearing, justices expressed concerns about privacy violations, with Justice Alex Stein noting that tracking who has or has not voted enters personal information. Justice Yael Vilner expanded on this, highlighting the potential social and political dangers, such as revealing a person's political leanings in small communities if they do not vote. She countered Likud's claim that the data was derived from public voter registers, stating it was "something else."

The court also examined the authority of the Central Elections Committee chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, to issue such a ban. Likud argued Sohlberg acted beyond his authority, but the justices defended his role as head of an administrative body responsible for ensuring lawful conduct. Justice Stein used an analogy of a polling observer committing a crime, suggesting the chairman must have the power to intervene.

Justice Khaled Kabub emphasized the state's role in ensuring election integrity, contrasting it with partisan interests. He stated the committee chairman is responsible for the conduct of polling station representatives and has the authority to prohibit them from transmitting information to external parties, acting as his "long arm" to safeguard the practical aspects of election purity.