Netanyahu Alleges Right-Wing Ballot Slips Are Being Defaced

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged on Tuesday that right-wing ballot slips were being defaced at polling stations. In a message posted to his official Telegram channel at 11:59 a.m. Israel time, he urged voters to inspect their slips before casting a ballot and asked supporters to circulate his warning. Netanyahu wrote, “Right-wing ballot slips are being defaced at polling stations.” He told voters to make sure their slip was intact, undamaged and free of markings, and asked them not to write on it. His message did not identify polling stations, affected parties, perpetrators or the number of slips involved, and supplied no supporting evidence. The warning came between two election-day turnout appeals. At 11:53 a.m., Netanyahu claimed participation was higher than usual in left-wing strongholds and called on right-wing voters to back Likud. At 12:16 p.m., he renewed that appeal, contrasting what he described as heavy participation on the left with indifference on the right. These were his campaign claims. A Central Elections Committee clarification reported on Monday warned that added words, signatures, drawings or markings on printed slips can invalidate a vote. Voters finding damaged or marked slips were told to contact the polling-station committee. The guidance distinguished printed slips from blank white slips: if a desired printed slip is missing, voters may write the list’s identifying letters on a blank slip in blue ink.