Israeli election committee: Parties will see polling station turnout, but not who voted

Israel's Central Elections Committee will provide real-time turnout data for individual polling stations on election day, a move designed to help political parties strategize without compromising voter privacy. Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg ruled that aggregate turnout figures will be published at least four times during the October 27 election.

This decision offers parties a new tool to identify geographic areas where voter engagement is lagging. However, it maintains Sohlberg’s earlier prohibition on party representatives inside polling stations reporting the names of voters who have cast their ballots directly to campaign headquarters. This means parties can see if a polling station has low turnout but cannot ascertain if a specific individual has voted.

The ruling addresses a request by the Likud party to reconsider an August 4 decision that barred polling committee members and party observers from sending real-time voter information to campaigns. Likud argued this overturned a long-standing practice and asked for its reversal or postponement. Sohlberg rejected this, stating his decision clarifies existing election law and applies a provision already in force, noting that previous committee chairmen had also expressed doubts about the legality of such information sharing.

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Decision does not change election law, but clarifies existing enforceable laws