Israel's Election Body Reverses Ban on Real-Time Voter Data for Parties

Israel's Central Elections Committee has overturned a decision by its chairman, Noam Solberg, that prohibited political parties from collecting real-time data on voters from polling stations. The committee's ruling allows parties to use applications, such as 'Elector,' which transmit information about who has voted as it happens.

The Central Elections Committee, where the coalition holds a majority, has the authority to override the chairman's position in exceptional circumstances. Solberg had previously argued that information about a person's attendance at a polling station is private and should not be shared with party databases. The Likud party strongly opposed this restriction, stating that parties rely on such data to identify supporters who have not yet voted and encourage them to cast their ballots.

Because the committee's decision contradicts Solberg's stance, it is subject to appeal at the High Court of Justice (Bagatz).