Pollster Claims Election Committee Chair Cost Right-Wing Bloc 3-5 Seats

Political strategist and pollster Shlomo Filber has presented a new perspective on factors influencing the results of the 26th Knesset elections, focusing on alleged selective enforcement of election rules. Filber claims the most significant damage to election integrity stemmed not from vote-buying, but from the selective enforcement of rules regarding voter mobilization software.

Filber specifically accused Noam Sohlberg, the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, of harming the right-wing bloc's ability to gain seats. He stated that Sohlberg's decision to prohibit the use of software for reporting from within polling stations this year, a rare move, disproportionately affected established right-wing parties. Filber explained that such software can increase voter turnout by 5% to 10%, benefiting parties with loyal voter bases, which he estimated to be around 50 mandates on the right, including parties like Yahadut HaTorah, Shas, Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit. He argued this software is less effective for newer parties in the opposition.

According to Filber, Sohlberg's decision prevented the right-wing from mobilizing an additional 3 to 5 mandates on election day. He further alleged that committee members are complicit in undermining the legality and fairness of the election results due to a lack of enforcement and oversight in the Arab sector. Filber claimed that the committee's disregard for the "blatant, widespread, and institutional" violation of instructions by Arab parties, which he believes helped them gain one to two mandates, contributed to this damage.