Election Committee Denies Reports of Likud Voter Tracking
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
The "Achdut" party accused Likud representatives of illegally tracking voters via an app, but the Central Elections Committee stated it has no reports of such activity. The committee reiterated a ban on sharing voter information from polling stations, a rule previously upheld by the High Court of Justice. While parties cannot share polling station data, they can still conduct field operations and encourage voting.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- "Achdut" party accused Likud of illegally tracking voters via an app at polling stations.
- Central Elections Committee stated it has no reports of Likud voter tracking activities.
- The High Court of Justice previously banned sharing voter attendance information from polling stations.
- Parties are prohibited from transmitting voter attendance or voting data from polling stations.
- Parties can still operate field headquarters and encourage citizens to vote.
The "Achdut" party, led by Naftali Bennett, has accused representatives of the Likud party of monitoring voters inside polling stations and transmitting information via an application, which the party claims violates election laws and regulations. Following these allegations, "Achdut" approached the Central Elections Committee.
The committee responded by stating that, as of now, it has not received any reports confirming such activities. "The information being circulated online is not consistent with the information in our possession," the committee said in a statement. It reiterated that party representatives at polling stations are prohibited from sharing information about voters' attendance or their act of voting, including through applications, emphasizing that these rules apply to all parties without exception.
Separately, the Elections Committee reported a single incident of photography at a polling station in Moshav Yerohiv. The committee member responsible for the photography reportedly understood their error after instructions were clarified and ceased the activity. The committee did not link this incident to the "Achdut" party's claims against Likud.
The article also references a previous ruling by the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, in August, which prohibited election committee members and party observers from relaying real-time voter information to their parties via applications like "Elector." This decision was based on the principle that information about participation in voting is private. The Likud and other parties had opposed this, arguing it significantly altered election day operational rules.
In early September, the plenum of the Central Elections Committee overturned Sohlberg's decision, allowing parties to continue receiving voter arrival information through applications. However, this decision was appealed to the High Court of Justice (Bagatz). Justices Yael Vilner, Alex Stein, and Khaled Kabub ruled against the plenum's decision, stating that transmitting such information lacks a proper legal basis and infringes on the right to privacy. This ruling means the prohibition extends to similar information transfer methods beyond the "Elector" app.
The article clarifies that despite the ban on transmitting data from within polling stations, parties are still permitted to operate field headquarters, contact supporters, and encourage voter turnout. The key distinction is between legitimate political activity based on lawfully gathered information and the use of details observed by committee members and observers in their official capacity.
Mentioned
