Israeli Election Committee Bans Reporting Voter Attendance via Party Apps

On August 5, 2026, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, chair of Israel's Central Election Committee, ruled that party representatives at polling stations are prohibited from reporting who has voted using dedicated mobile applications. This decision aims to protect voter privacy and uphold the integrity of the election process.

Polling station committees, appointed by the Central Election Committee, include at least three political party representatives alongside a non-partisan secretary responsible for managing the voting process and voter registration. This mixed composition ensures mutual oversight between state officials and political actors to prevent electoral fraud and maintain transparency.

In recent years, party representatives and observers have used apps like Elector and Victory to report live voter turnout to their parties, enabling targeted voter mobilization efforts. These apps integrate official voter registry data with additional information to identify potential supporters who have yet to vote.

Justice Sohlberg emphasized that voting information is private under Israel's privacy protection laws. While committee members may access voter data to supervise the election's legality, using this information to influence or report voter participation to political parties violates the law. Consequently, any transmission of such data through apps or other means is now illegal.

The ruling clarifies that the role of party representatives at polling stations is strictly supervisory, not promotional or informational for political campaigning. This decision reinforces the principle of "mutual supervision" to ensure fair elections without compromising voter confidentiality.