Israeli Election Committee Allows Likud Partial Access to Ballots Amid Fraud Claims

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, partially approved the Likud party's request to review election materials on Wednesday. This decision allows the Likud to examine voting records as they consider filing an appeal against the results of the 26th Knesset elections, citing alleged irregularities in Arab sector polling stations. The Likud claims that party representatives in these stations shared voter information to encourage turnout, leading to a surge in voting in approximately 190 polling stations, which they argue impacted the distribution of votes and mandates. United Torah Judaism has supported the Likud's claims.

Conversely, the Joint List argued that no irregularities were proven that would justify disqualifying votes or altering the election outcome. Judge Sohlberg ruled that the Likud could access specific materials relevant to their claims, clarifying that any potential irregularities affecting the results would be determined by the Administrative Affairs Court if an appeal is filed.

Under the ruling, the Likud will receive scanned copies of voter tracking forms (IVR) and relevant polling station committee notes and decisions. Personal details protected by law will be redacted before the materials are handed over. Access to deletion lists, which document voters who attended polling stations and sometimes their voting times, was also approved. The Likud intends to use this data to investigate whether voter numbers increased after alleged information dissemination from polling stations.

The review is set to begin on November 12th at the Central Elections Committee offices, with around 15 committee staff teams working alongside Likud observers. Sohlberg, however, denied the Likud's request for recordings and photographs taken by election integrity supervisors, stating such materials are only available to the police, prosecution, and the committee's legal counsel, based on prior decisions. Some requested documents were deemed unavailable or irrelevant to the Likud's specific claims.