Supreme Court Intervenes Again in Election Ballot Box Reporting Dispute

Israel's Supreme Court has once again stepped into the controversy surrounding real-time reporting from election ballot boxes. The Central Elections Committee overturned a decision made by Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg regarding the issue of reporting from polling stations. The intervention came after Yoaz Hendel and the Reservists Party petitioned the High Court of Justice, which subsequently issued an order nisi and scheduled a hearing for Wednesday.

Following discussions, the court accepted a compromise proposal. This proposal stipulates that the ban on real-time reporting will be re-examined by the Central Elections Committee, and Sohlberg's opinion will be presented to the committee members. The committee currently holds a political majority favoring the Likud party.

The judges ordered the consolidation of the petitions for efficiency, without taking a stance on the substance of the matter. They issued an order nisi, placing the burden of proof on the Central Elections Committee and other respondents. The order requires the respondents to explain why the Central Elections Committee's decision from September 6, 2026, should not be canceled.

Instead, the court seeks clear guidelines for polling station officials, prohibiting them from transmitting information about a person's presence at the polling station, their voting status, or related circumstances to their parties or any other entity. This prohibition applies to both technological means, such as specialized software, and other methods. The Supreme Court is expected to make a final ruling on the matter after the upcoming hearing.