Israeli Central Election Committee Approves Voting Procedures for Soldiers in Combat Zones and Missile Alerts

The Central Election Committee of Israel, led by Judge Noam Solberg and including CEO Attorney Din Livna and party representatives, approved new regulations on Thursday regarding election procedures. These include provisions for soldiers voting while deployed in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, as well as protocols for voting safely across Israel during missile attacks. Since soldiers in enemy territory cannot carry ID cards, identification at polling stations will be verified using a military identification tag and confirmation by another soldier, with the entire process documented in a protocol. This protocol also applies to double envelopes counted later, allowing additional verification by the committee.

In the event of missile sirens or rocket fire on election day, voting will be paused, and an election supervisor will activate a camera to monitor the situation. Ballots outside the polling station will be placed in a special envelope, and the polling station will be locked and moved to a protected area by authorized personnel. The committee aims to hold voting within protected zones, especially near conflict lines, and will have access to relevant public buildings nationwide. Where polling stations are not in protected areas, the documented identification procedure will be implemented.

Party representatives on the committee include Attorney Ilan Bombach (Likud), MK Erez Malul (Shas), MK Vladimir Beliak (Yesh Atid), and MK Yael Ron Ben-Moshe (Blue and White). Following a letter from the committee’s legal advisor, Bombach requested clear guidelines on election bribery and violations to ensure public awareness and compliance. This request comes amid concerns about a campaign encouraging free travel and accommodation for overseas voters, which some coalition members fear may benefit the liberal camp.

Separately, the Shin Bet has established a dedicated team to safeguard election integrity ahead of the October 27 elections. The team coordinates with the Central Election Committee, police, and regulatory bodies to monitor threats. Shin Bet identified three main risks: ideological terrorism, threats against candidates, and foreign interference, particularly cyber operations and social media bots from countries like Iran, Russia, and China. Intelligence sources noted an escalation in attempts by these states to incite internal conflict and deepen societal divisions in Israel.