Voting Controversy in Likud Primaries Sparks Dispute Over Double Envelope Ballots

A senior Likud official sharply criticized the party's primary voting process on Thursday, alleging irregularities involving double-envelope ballots. According to the official, individuals not listed in the voter registry were granted special permission to vote at the Binyanei HaUma convention center based on affidavits submitted under the name of Jonathan Tal, who denies these voters are affiliated with him. Approximately 100 party members received approval to vote using double envelopes due to a technical glitch that excluded them from the membership system, with around 50 casting ballots at Binyanei HaUma. These votes have not yet been added to the official results.

The disputed ballots could directly affect the ranking of candidates in the Likud list, particularly between positions 14 and 15, where Boaz Bismuth leads David Bitan by just 16 votes. Jonathan Tal, an associate of Minister Miki Zohar and the Alboim family from the "Guardians of the Temple Mount" group, demanded that the party CEO David Sharan not count the contested votes, claiming the approved voters do not match the original list he submitted. In contrast, MK David Bitan rejected Tal's claims as false.

In response to the dispute, Likud's court president, attorney Michael Kleiner, ordered a freeze on counting the ballots from the contested polling stations. This suspension will remain until Tal submits a formal affidavit supporting his allegations along with the relevant voter list. The controversy highlights internal tensions within Likud ahead of finalizing its candidate list.