Polling station turnout data to be publicized 4 times throughout election day, rules CEC

Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

A voter casts a ballot at a polling station in the northern Israeli village of Maghar on November 1, 2022. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
A voter casts a ballot at a polling station in the northern Israeli village of Maghar on November 1, 2022. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Elections Committee, rejects a request to reconsider his decision from earlier this month banning workers and party observers in the polls on October 27 from sharing information about who has voted, a longstanding practice that has been utilized mainly by right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties to maximize voter turnout.

Instead, Sohlberg decides that “in the name of transparency and election integrity, polling station turnout data will be provided to the public” at least four times on election day and this data “will be equally accessible to all candidate slates, enabling them to work on encouraging voter turnout without exposing information regarding the identity of those who voted,” the committee says in a statement.

“This data will consist solely of aggregate numbers that do not allow for the identification of whether a specific person voted, thereby balancing the need to allow parties to encourage voter turnout with the obligation to protect the privacy of Israeli citizens and the integrity of the electoral process,” it explains.

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