Israeli Initiative Provides Transportation for Elderly to Polling Stations Amid Voting Access Cuts

In response to the decision not to set up polling stations in non-nursing elderly care homes, Adi Israeli launched a volunteer initiative to transport and assist seniors and people with mobility challenges to vote. Within weeks, over 7,000 volunteers signed up to help ensure that elderly citizens can exercise their democratic right despite logistical obstacles. Israeli expressed frustration that polling stations were removed from elderly homes while remaining in prisons, calling it a serious infringement on basic democratic rights.

The initiative is nonpartisan, focusing solely on enabling voter participation without influencing political choices. Israeli emphasized that the project aims to bridge generational gaps and protect the voting rights of the older generation, many of whom face health and mobility difficulties. Volunteers will accompany voters to polling stations, wait outside during voting, and return them safely to their residences, ensuring security and respect for privacy.

Technically, the project uses a specially developed website to register volunteers and those needing assistance, matching them by location, vehicle accessibility, and availability. Each vehicle will have a driver and an assistant volunteer. The initiative also ensures linguistic diversity among volunteers to accommodate various elderly populations. Israeli stressed that the project is not a platform for political promotion but a civic effort to uphold democratic participation.

With less than three months until the elections, the initiative is rapidly expanding to meet the logistical demands of transporting thousands of elderly voters. Israeli views the effort as a vital response to a political move she considers undemocratic, aiming to safeguard the voting rights of Israel’s senior citizens in the 2026 elections.