Israeli Supreme Court Justices Question Election Committee Chair's Authority

The Israeli Supreme Court debated on Wednesday whether the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, had the sole authority to decide on the real-time sharing of voter information with political parties. The Likud party petitioned the court after Sohlberg ruled against allowing parties to receive live updates on who had already voted.

Justices expressed doubts about Sohlberg's authority to make such a decision independently, suggesting the matter should be decided by the full Elections Committee. Justice Yael Vilner noted the "not simple" question of the chairman's authority versus the committee's, proposing that the court return the decision to the committee for a full ruling.

The Likud argued that blocking this information flow, a practice they claim has been in place for decades, constitutes a significant change in election rules after the campaign has already begun, calling it a "disaster" for their election efforts. However, Justice Khaled Keboub questioned why this would uniquely impact Likud, suggesting it was speculation.

The State Attorney's Office, which defended Sohlberg's decision, is expected to respond by 8:00 PM regarding the court's proposal to refer the issue back to the full committee. Most parties, excluding the ultra-Orthodox ones, reportedly supported Sohlberg's decision, while Likud views real-time voter data as a crucial tool for their field operations on election day.