Shas Revives 1999 Strategy to Boost Voter Turnout Amidst Declining Polls

Facing a consistent drop in opinion polls and concerns about losing Knesset seats, the Shas party is reactivating a grassroots strategy last employed in 1999, when the party reached its peak with 17 mandates. The core objective of this initiative, dubbed "Ministers of 50," is to ensure maximum voter participation by preventing potential supporters from staying home.

Under the plan, each party activist will compile a list of personal acquaintances and set a personal goal to bring them to the ballot box. On election day, these activists will be stationed near polling stations to monitor attendance and report on voter turnout in real-time to the party's national headquarters. This will replace traditional poll watchers.

A phone bank will operate from headquarters to encourage voters who have not yet cast their ballots and to remove individuals who have already voted from the calling lists, thereby optimizing resource allocation. Local Shas representatives, familiar with their communities, will oversee the entire operation.

Party leader Aryeh Deri has hinted in closed meetings that the performance of these field operatives will be a key factor in selecting candidates for the upcoming municipal elections, with the party internally referring to this model as its "internal primaries." Shas believes this approach will yield more accurate data and maximize the party's electoral potential by leveraging personal connections.

The party is confident that its databases and operational systems are ready for immediate implementation.