Israeli Election Committee Bans Parties from Sharing Voter Information on Election Day to Protect Privacy

On August 4, 2026, the chairman of Israel's Central Election Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, announced a ban on political party representatives at polling stations from reporting which voters have cast their ballots during election day. This decision prohibits the use of mobile applications designed to update parties in real time about voter turnout, a practice previously used to encourage those who had not yet voted to do so.

Judge Solberg ruled that sharing information such as the time of voting and the type of polling station (including special stations in hospitals or for voters with mobility issues) constitutes a violation of voter privacy under the Privacy Protection Law. He emphasized that election law does not authorize party representatives to transmit such data for party activities, and without explicit legal authorization, this practice is forbidden.

The ruling followed a petition filed by attorney Shachar Ben Meir, supported by the Privacy Protection Clinic at Tel Aviv University, which argued that updating parties via apps about who has voted infringes on the right to privacy and the secrecy of the ballot. While the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionist parties opposed the change, claiming it does not violate the law, Judge Solberg rejected their position.

The judge clarified that the decision reflects current legal standards and does not comment on what future regulations should be. He called for a comprehensive review of the relationship between election laws and privacy protections, especially given recent technological advances. Parties remain allowed to use voter registry information for contacting voters but cannot access data about actual voting behavior on election day.