Election Committee Allows Parties to Track Voter Turnout on Election Day

The plenum of the Central Elections Committee has overturned a decision by its chairman, Judge Noam Sohlberg, allowing party representatives at polling stations to transmit information about voters who have already cast their ballots to their respective campaign headquarters. This ruling enables parties to monitor voter turnout throughout election day, identify supporters who have not yet voted, and subsequently mobilize them to cast their ballots.

The decision follows a political and legal controversy that erupted in August when Sohlberg ruled that information on a voter's attendance at a polling station is private and cannot be shared with party databases for political activity. This prohibition drew sharp criticism from the Likud party and other coalition parties, who argued it significantly altered established election practices and hindered their ability to encourage supporters to vote.

In response to Sohlberg's ruling, the Likud party petitioned the High Court of Justice (Bagatz). Last week, the High Court determined that the chairman alone should not decide such an issue and returned the matter to the full Elections Committee plenum for deliberation and a final decision.

Now, the plenum has voted against Sohlberg's position, permitting the continued transfer of information from polling stations to party headquarters. This decision is particularly significant for parties with extensive field operations and large databases, as it allows them to cross-reference polling station data with their supporter lists to focus their get-out-the-vote efforts effectively.