Discrepancies in Likud Primary Vote Count Spark Controversy Over Results

In the Likud party primaries, a vote count irregularity has emerged from a polling station in Be'er Ya'akov, where 240 valid votes were recorded but candidate Shashi Guetta was reported to have received 260 votes, 20 more than the total ballots cast. Another candidate, Gila Gamliel, was recorded with 240 votes. These figures raise questions about the accuracy of the vote tallying process.

This discrepancy adds to ongoing concerns about the integrity of the primary results, which have shifted following repeated recounts. Gamliel petitioned the Likud party court to halt the recount at the Be'er Ya'akov polling station or alternatively to conduct a comprehensive review of all polling stations suspected of irregularities. Although Judge Yitzhak Bam did not stop the recount, he acknowledged unease over the unresolved results even eight days after the election.

Further controversy surrounds a recount in Kisra-Sumei, where hundreds of votes reportedly altered the outcome, elevating MK Eti Atiya to the 25th spot on the list and pushing Gamliel out of the Knesset. Supporters of MK Haim Katz confirmed that Atiya surpassed Gamliel in the final tally. Gamliel's petition also criticized the election committee for ignoring complaints from other candidates and called for a full investigation of all suspicious polling stations.

The Likud party court has requested the party’s legal advisor to clarify the rationale behind the decision to recount the Be'er Ya'akov votes, explain discrepancies between initial and published results, and address why all polling protocols and summary sheets have not been scanned and published. The unfolding dispute highlights significant tensions within Likud as the party finalizes its candidate list ahead of upcoming elections.