Israeli Communications Minister Criticizes Election Committee Ban on Real-Time Polling Data

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi sharply criticized a recent decision by Judge Noam Solberg, chair of the Central Elections Committee, which prohibits party representatives at polling stations from transmitting real-time information about voters who have already cast their ballots. Karhi accused Solberg of treating the Elections Committee like another Supreme Court session where election rules can be arbitrarily changed. He argued that the ruling undermines all parties' ability to mobilize voters, particularly right-wing factions that lack centralized campaign operations, and vowed that his party would find ways to circumvent the ban.

The decision, issued earlier on Tuesday, classifies data such as the fact that a person has voted, the time of voting, and the polling station location as personal information protected under privacy laws. Consequently, parties are barred from using this data for political campaigning on election day. This ruling marks a significant shift from previous elections, where parties relied on continuous updates from polling stations to identify supporters who had not yet voted and to organize phone banks, messaging, and transportation to boost turnout.

Karhi himself was previously involved in promoting the "Elector" system within the Likud party, a tool designed to streamline campaign operations on election day but which faced public and legal scrutiny over privacy concerns. Politically, if upheld, the ruling could disproportionately affect parties that depend heavily on election day voter mobilization efforts. The practical impact will become clearer as the decision is implemented and potentially challenged in further legal proceedings.