Israel Election Committee Debates Extending Polling Hours

By מתי טוכפלד

Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba

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Hebrew · 12 newsrooms covering

The Israeli Election Committee is debating whether to extend polling hours past 10 PM, with a vote potentially brought by Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg. Supporters, including Likud and Haredi parties, believe an extension would boost turnout, while opponents, like Yisrael Beiteinu, argue it compromises election integrity. A compromise extension until 10:30 PM is considered likely if approved.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Election Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg may bring a vote on extending polling hours.
Likud and Haredi parties support an extension, while Yisrael Beiteinu opposes it.
Blue and White's representative is under pressure to support the extension.
Opponents argue extending hours undermines election integrity and sets a bad precedent.
A compromise extension until 10:30 PM is the most likely outcome if approved.

Israel Election Committee Debates Extending Polling Hours — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

The chairman of the Election Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, is considering whether to bring a proposal to extend polling hours beyond the scheduled 10 PM closing time to a vote. A political drama is unfolding within the Central Election Committee over the possibility of extending voting hours. If Sohlberg decides to put the matter to a formal vote, a clear division is expected between the blocs.

According to assessments, the bloc supporting an extension includes representatives from Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Shas, and United Torah Judaism. These parties believe an extension would benefit them, especially given efforts to encourage right-wing and Haredi voters to the polls amidst relatively low turnout in their strongholds. Significant pressure is reportedly being applied to the Blue and White representative to support the extension, though the party is undecided, weighing the risk of appearing to obstruct voting against the potential benefit to the opposing side.

Conversely, the bloc opposing an extension is expected to include representatives from Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu, the Democrats, and the Together party. They argue there is no justification for an extension, asserting that changing the rules in the final hours undermines election integrity and sets a problematic precedent. Historically, extensions have only been granted for specific technical malfunctions, not in response to turnout levels.

Parties like Gadi Eisenkot's and Ofer Winter's, which do not have representatives on the committee, will not have a direct influence on the vote. The prevailing estimation among committee members is that if an extension is approved, it will likely be a compromise of only half an hour, until 10:30 PM, rather than a more substantial one. This would allow those already en route to the polls to cast their ballots without significantly prolonging election day.