Election Committee Allows Parties Real-Time Voter Updates from Polling Stations

The Central Elections Committee has approved, by a vote of 19 to 11, a decision allowing party representatives to receive real-time updates on which voters have cast their ballots. This reversal follows an earlier ruling by Deputy Supreme Court President Judge Noam Sohlberg, who had prohibited such updates, citing privacy concerns and a lack of legal authorization for parties to collect and transmit this information.

Sohlberg's initial decision last month stated that polling station committee members and observers would not be permitted to report the identities of voters to their parties. He argued that transmitting information about voting status, including details like the time of voting or the type of polling station (e.g., for hospitals or those with mobility issues), constituted a violation of privacy under the Privacy Protection Law. He further noted that election laws do not explicitly empower party representatives to transfer this data for party activities.

The Likud party petitioned the High Court of Justice against Sohlberg's ruling. Last week, the High Court determined that the decision was outside Sohlberg's authority and returned the matter to the Central Elections Committee for a final determination.

The committee's latest decision effectively reinstates the practice of parties receiving voter turnout information during election day, a practice that has been a point of contention in past elections.