Supreme Court Blocks Parties From Tracking Voters in Real-Time

Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a decision by the Central Elections Committee, ruling that party representatives at polling stations cannot update parties in real-time on who has voted. The ruling came after a prolonged dispute where the Likud party had pushed for the ability to receive live data on voters.

The main opinion, authored by Justice Yael Willner and joined by Justices Alex Stein and Khaled Kabub, stated that the practice, which allows parties to identify potential voters who have not yet cast their ballots and encourage them to do so, is illegal. Justice Willner determined the practice violates the principle of legality, infringes on the right to privacy by transferring such information, and specifically breaches the prohibition against unauthorized information transfer under Section 2(9) of the Privacy Protection Law.

The court also determined that the Central Elections Committee lacks the authority to permit party representatives at polling stations to engage in this practice without explicit legal authorization. The court's decision effectively halts the ability of parties to monitor voter turnout at individual levels during election day.