Your Guide to Voting in Israel's 26th Knesset Elections

Israel's 26th Knesset elections are taking place today, with over 7.3 million citizens eligible to cast their ballots. Beyond the practicalities of voting hours and locations, this election is marked by a debate over electoral integrity and the data political parties can collect on voters. The Central Elections Committee has issued guidelines on voter identification, ballot procedures, and the prohibition of photography within polling stations. Voters are reminded to bring valid identification, such as an ID card, driver's license, or passport. Soldiers and police officers can use their service IDs. Polling stations will be open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with exceptions for smaller communities and specific institutions like prisons and hospitals, which will have shorter hours.

Public transportation, including Israel Railways and intercity buses traveling over 15 km, will be free from 8:00 PM the night before the election until the end of service on election day. To vote, citizens must present identification to the polling committee secretary, receive a ballot envelope, and privately select a ballot. Only one ballot should be placed in the envelope. Using a blank ballot is permissible if the desired party's ballot is unavailable, but it must be filled out with a blue pen. The Central Elections Committee has clarified that certain actions, such as leaving a blank white ballot, marking the envelope in a way that identifies the voter, or including multiple identical ballots, can lead to a vote being disqualified. The use of a blue pen on blank ballots is mandatory.

Voting is intended to be secret, with no one permitted to accompany a voter behind the curtain unless they have a physical disability preventing them from voting independently. Photography is prohibited within polling station premises, including by committee members, with a limited exception for accredited election integrity supervisors using specific equipment. The law also forbids committee members and observers from engaging in conversations with voters beyond identification and procedural matters. The chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, has prohibited the transfer of information from polling stations to party headquarters regarding voter attendance, a decision upheld by the High Court of Justice following a petition by attorney Shohar Ben Meir. This ruling aims to protect voter privacy, particularly concerning the use of apps like 'Elector' which previously allowed parties to track who had voted.

Despite the ban, attempts to circumvent the rules have been reported, including plans for new applications designed to report only the number of voters present, not their identities. However, the High Court has also restricted the real-time transfer of even aggregate voter numbers. The Elections Committee and the Privacy Protection Authority will monitor app servers to ensure compliance. Violators of privacy regulations face legal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Special provisions are in place for evacuees due to security situations, individuals with mobility impairments, soldiers, hospitalized patients, nursing home residents, and prisoners, allowing them to vote at designated or accessible polling stations. Those abroad can only vote if they are government employees or representatives of specific Jewish organizations and their families.