Election Committee Rules Damaged Ballots Won't Be Automatically Invalidated
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Israel's Central Elections Committee has issued a new directive stating that damaged ballots will not be automatically disqualified if the voter's choice is clear. This aims to count more votes, accepting minor defects but rejecting ballots that could identify voters. The committee is also considering extending voting hours.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Damaged ballots will not be automatically disqualified if the voter's choice is clear.
- The Central Elections Committee aims to count as many votes as possible.
- Ballots that could identify the voter will be disqualified.
- Minor defects like small holes or smudges will be accepted.
- The committee is also considering extending voting hours.
The Central Elections Committee, headed by Justice Noam Solberg, issued a directive to polling stations across Israel on Tuesday regarding damaged ballots. The new guideline states that ballots with minor defects will not be automatically disqualified, provided the voter's choice can still be clearly identified. This decision aims to ensure that as many votes as possible are counted.
Examples of defects that will be accepted include small holes, dirt, or smudges that do not appear to be voter-made, printing errors, or slight deviations from the official ballot sample, as long as the intended list is unmistakable. However, ballots that could potentially identify the voter will not be accepted.
If a ballot is found that might identify the voter, it will be set aside until the end of the count. If a second identical ballot is found, both will be counted as valid. If only one such ballot is found, it will be disqualified due to the risk of voter identification. All decisions and considerations will be meticulously documented.
The guiding principle is to include every voter's ballot in the results unless it is impossible to validate. Concurrently, the committee is still deliberating on requests to extend voting hours, with an official decision expected soon.
