Israel's Supreme Court Bans Election Day Voter Tracking App

Israel's High Court of Justice on Thursday dealt a blow to the Likud party by ruling against the use of the "Elector" application to track voters on election day. The court overturned a decision by the Central Elections Committee, which had approved the app's use earlier in the week by a vote of 19 to 11. The practical implication of this ruling is that political parties will be unable to receive real-time reports from polling stations about citizens who have not yet voted, and thus cannot use this information to contact them and encourage them to vote.

Justice Vilner stated that the practice is illegal, citing a lack of explicit legal authorization for transferring such data and the infringement on voter privacy. The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel, which petitioned the court on the matter, welcomed the decision. The organization stated, "Information accessed in the polling station cannot become a tool for tracking citizens and pressuring them. The decision protects voters' privacy and their right to vote freely. The Movement will continue to act to preserve the integrity of elections and protect free and fair elections."