High Court Hears Challenge to Phone-Based Turnout Reports From Polling Stations

The High Court began hearing a petition Wednesday against permission for party representatives inside polling stations to send anonymous cumulative turnout counts by mobile phone. Acting Central Elections Committee director Dean Livne granted the permission after a Likud request, while disclosure of individual voters’ identities remains prohibited. The Israeli Democracy Guard argues that allowing phone-based reporting makes that prohibition harder to enforce. Committee lawyer Avi Milikovsky asked the judges at the opening of the hearing to decide the petition that day. David Mintz, Khaled Kabub and Ruth Ronen are hearing the case; no ruling was reported.