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Israel Elections 2026

Election Chief Rejects Real-Time Voter ID

Judge Noam Solberg, head of Israel's Central Elections Committee, has denied a request to reconsider his ban on party representatives sharing real-time voter identity information, but allows publication of aggregate turnout figures four times on election day

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Judge Noam Solberg, chairman of Israel's Central Elections Committee, rejected on Sunday a request to revisit his recent ruling that prohibits party representatives at polling stations from transmitting real-time information about individual voter identities to their party headquarters.

In his decision, Solberg clarified that the ruling does not alter election law close to the voting date, but rather interprets existing legislation, specifically an explicit provision in Israel's Privacy Protection Law.

He noted that in recent years, successive chairmen of the Central Elections Committee have raised doubts about the legality of the practice of sharing voter identity information.

Accordingly, political parties should have prepared in advance for the possibility that the practice would be deemed illegal, including by advancing legislation to regulate the issue.

At the same time, the Elections Committee chairman requested that Knesset factions and other parties involved in the proceedings propose practical alternatives that would enable them to encourage voters to exercise their right to vote while maintaining the principles established in his decision, particularly the protection of voter privacy.

Judge Solberg
Judge Solberg (Photo: Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)

After reviewing the submitted proposals, and as part of the committee's commitment to full transparency, Solberg announced that on election day the Central Elections Committee will publish turnout rates for every regular polling station across the country at least four times throughout the day.

The data will be available equally to all party lists, allowing them to mobilize voters and increase turnout without exposing information about the identities of those who have voted.

The information will consist solely of aggregate figures that do not allow identification of whether a specific individual has voted, thereby balancing the need to enable parties to encourage voter participation with the obligation to protect the privacy of Israeli citizens and preserve the integrity of the electoral process.

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