IDF to Deploy Voting Stations Behind Enemy Lines for October Election

Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir issued election guidelines on Wednesday, directing the military to set up polling stations inside Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip so combat soldiers deployed beyond Israel's borders can vote in the October 27 Knesset election, a first in decades. Because troops in enemy territory cannot carry identity cards, they will be identified by their military dog tags, verified by a second soldier. The Central Elections Committee, headed by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, approved the procedures and protocols to pause voting during rocket alerts. Zamir also barred politically themed lectures and tours and required review of commanders' statements to keep the army out of political discourse.