Channel 13Politics17:21

Israeli Election Committee Bans Real-Time Voter Identity Data Sharing with Parties

Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba

Center

Hebrew · 10 newsrooms covering

Plus

The Israeli Central Elections Committee, led by Noam Solberg, upheld a ban on sharing real-time voter identity information with parties at polling stations, emphasizing privacy protections. Instead, aggregated voter turnout data will be published multiple times on election day to help parties encourage voting without compromising individual privacy.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

The Central Elections Committee banned real-time sharing of voter identity data with parties at polling stations.
Chairman Noam Solberg said the decision clarifies existing privacy laws, not changes election rules.
Parties were expected to prepare for the ban, including by proposing relevant legislation.
On election day, turnout rates will be published multiple times for all parties equally.
The data shared will be aggregate, preventing identification of individual voters.
The committee called for new methods to encourage voting while protecting voter privacy.

Israeli Election Committee Bans Real-Time Voter Identity Data Sharing with Parties — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Noam Solberg, chairman of the Israeli Central Elections Committee, rejected a request to reconsider his decision prohibiting party representatives at polling stations from transmitting real-time information about voter identities to their parties. Solberg clarified that the ruling does not change election laws near voting day but reinforces existing privacy protections under a specific privacy law. He noted that in recent years, doubts have been raised about the legality of sharing voter identity data, and parties should have prepared for the possibility that this practice would be banned, including by promoting legislation to regulate it.

Solberg urged Knesset factions and other stakeholders to propose practical methods to encourage voter turnout while respecting the privacy principles outlined in the decision. On election day, the Central Elections Committee will publish voter turnout rates at each regular polling station at least four times, providing all parties equal access to aggregated data. This approach allows parties to mobilize voters without exposing individual voter identities, thus balancing voter encouragement with privacy and election integrity.

The committee emphasized that the shared data is aggregate and does not enable identification of individual voters, ensuring the protection of Israeli citizens' privacy and the purity of the election process.

The coverage