Israeli Election Committee to Release Polling Station Voting Data on Election Day Without Voter Identities
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The Israeli Central Elections Committee will publish aggregated voting data by polling station on election day but prohibits sharing voter identities with parties. Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg upheld this decision, rejecting Likud's request to allow real-time voter identity data transmission. The ruling aims to balance transparency, voter mobilization, and privacy protection.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Central Elections Committee will release aggregated polling station turnout data on election day.
- Party representatives cannot share real-time voter identity information with parties.
- Justice Noam Solberg rejected Likud's request to overturn the ban on voter identity data sharing.
- Data will be published at least four times during election day and accessible equally to all parties.
- The ruling affects large parties using apps like "Elector" for voter tracking and mobilization.
- Committee invites proposals to encourage voting while protecting voter privacy.
Noam Solberg, Supreme Court Justice and Chair of the Central Elections Committee, rejected the Likud party's request to reconsider his ruling that prohibits party representatives at polling stations from transmitting real-time voter identity information to their parties. Solberg ruled that, in the interest of transparency and election integrity, aggregated voting data by polling station will be released to the public on election day, but voter identities will remain confidential.
The committee clarified that this decision does not change election laws near the voting date and noted past concerns about the legality of sharing voter identity data. On election day, the committee will publish turnout rates at each regular polling station at least four times, providing equal access to all party lists. This data aims to help parties encourage voter turnout without compromising voter privacy.
Solberg emphasized that sharing information about who voted, including timing and polling station type, violates privacy laws and is not permitted without explicit legal authorization. This ruling primarily impacts larger parties with established databases and representation on polling committees, which previously used applications like "Elector" to track voter turnout and mobilize supporters. Smaller or new parties lack such representation and resources.
Following the ruling, Likud and other parties have sought to promote legislation to legalize the use of the "Elector" app, arguing it does not infringe on privacy. The committee also invited Knesset factions and other stakeholders to propose practical methods to encourage voter participation while safeguarding privacy.
Previously, party observers used apps to document voters who had cast ballots, enabling targeted campaigns to boost turnout or discourage opponents from voting. However, the new ruling bans transmitting voter identity data during election day, aiming to balance transparency, voter mobilization, and privacy protection.
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