‘An attempt to keep voters away?’ Overseas Israelis struggle to verify voting eligibility

Israelis living abroad are encountering significant difficulties verifying their eligibility to vote in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections, scheduled for late October. Many report that the Interior Ministry's government bot for checking voter registration is malfunctioning, repeatedly asking for ID numbers without providing information on registration status or polling station details. This issue is causing stress for overseas Israelis, some of whom have already purchased plane tickets to return for the elections. Knesset member Gilad Kariv stated, "This is not how information should be made accessible ahead of an election. We demand that the Interior Ministry immediately resolve the problems with access to information, within the coming hours." The Interior Ministry acknowledged a technical issue with the bot, stating that its WhatsApp and text message service is undergoing upgrades and directing citizens to a telephone center or online form for inquiries. The deadline for address corrections for eligible overseas voters is September 3, with the final voter registry to be finalized four days later.