Parties Vie for Election Day Poll Worker Slots

With two weeks until the elections, Israeli parties are actively organizing for election day, focusing on appointing poll workers to ensure election integrity and prevent fraud. The Yishar! party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, has approached Benny Gantz's Blue and White party requesting to fill some of the poll worker positions allocated to Blue and White. This request stems from Yishar! not receiving any allocations directly, as it was not represented in the outgoing Knesset.

The move occurs against a backdrop of a shortage of poll worker positions for the "change bloc" parties compared to the coalition. These poll workers are crucial for monitoring election fairness and safeguarding party ballots. The positions are paid by the parties, with reimbursement from the Central Elections Committee, at a rate of 1,883 shekels for the day and 377 shekels for attendance at the count.

Blue and White stated they are working to fill the positions themselves and will provide an update later. Eisenkot's party also urged Blue and White not to transfer their allocated positions to parties in the Netanyahu bloc, given that Blue and White received its allocation as part of the opposition. Yishar! emphasized its commitment to election purity and stated it is not aligned with any bloc, working to staff all polling stations independently. They denied receiving any request from the change bloc regarding the transfer of poll worker positions to the coalition bloc.

Overall, 36,054 poll worker positions are distributed among 15 Knesset factions for 12,018 polling stations nationwide, with allocations based on faction size, approximately 300 positions per mandate. The Likud party, with 32 mandates, receives the largest share of 9,615 positions, plus 1,202 from Gideon Sa'ar's National Unity party. Yesh Atid, with 24 mandates, gets 7,211, and Blue and White, with eight mandates, receives 2,404. Parties not represented in the outgoing Knesset, like Yishar!, receive no direct allocations.

The Likud and Religious Zionism parties are coordinating their representatives to ensure at least one of them is present at every polling station, reducing their need for additional observers. The opposition bloc, including Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Democrats, has a combined 10,216 positions, falling short of the total number of polling stations. Blue and White's 2,404 positions, if partially utilized by the opposition, would help cover the remaining needs.

Beyond paid positions, which also serve to reward activists, the liberal bloc is turning to volunteer observer roles. The "Civil Election Watch" organization, an apolitical entity, is recruiting volunteers for six-hour shifts and expects to staff about half the polling stations. Organizations like "Election Hub," led by figures from anti-government protest movements, are also mobilizing volunteers to support the Civil Election Watch and fill gaps. While the coalition is covered and has not sought volunteers, other liberal-aligned organizations have provided them.