Israeli Senior Housing Residents Fight to Restore On-Site Voting Rights
Ruth Schlesinger, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor and wheelchair user living in a senior housing facility in central Israel, voices deep pain over the government's decision to remove polling stations from such institutions. She describes the move as a symbolic erasure of elderly citizens from public life and a violation of the Jewish value of honoring the elderly. Schlesinger emphasizes that the denial of on-site voting is not just a logistical issue but a profound loss of dignity for seniors who contributed to building the state.
Representatives from the Senior Housing Residents Association argue that the solution is straightforward: reinstate several hundred polling stations in senior housing and nursing homes across Israel. Currently, the country operates over 12,000 polling stations, but only a few hundred would be needed to serve the 35,000 to 37,000 residents in these facilities. Activist Hagai Shafir highlights the impracticality and indignity of forcing elderly residents to travel to distant accessible polling stations, which often involve complicated and exhausting logistics.
The residents stress that the senior housing population is politically diverse, including right-wing, left-wing, religious, secular, and Arab citizens, countering claims that the issue is politically or sectorally motivated. Leah Schatz-Super, chair of the association, notes that although the original election law draft included provisions for polling stations in senior homes, these were removed during committee discussions. She calls for making the placement of polling stations in such facilities a permanent arrangement, reflecting the growing elderly population.
Residents reject government arguments that accessible polling stations outside their homes suffice, pointing out the physical and logistical barriers involved in reaching them. They also criticize the flawed interpretation of equality used to deny them on-site voting, arguing that concentrated populations in senior facilities present an efficient opportunity to facilitate voting access.
Despite their frustration, Schlesinger and others vow to exercise their voting rights by any means necessary, including relying on family and community support. They call on the state to respect their dignity and allow them to vote where they live, without dependence or humiliation. The association is exploring legal and public pressure avenues but remains uncertain if these efforts will reverse the decision. Their clear message to the government is a plea for respect and inclusion in their final years.
