Election committee approves voting booths in 159 old-age homes after controversy
The Central Elections Committee on Tuesday approved the placement of polling stations in 159 old-age homes, after coalition lawmakers failed to renew a COVID-era provision that required special voting booths in retirement and assisted-living facilities.The CEC made the statement in a Supreme Court filing on elderly citizens’ petitions on the matter.Israel first erected polling stations in non-nursing old-age facilities in the 2021 Knesset election because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, polling booths were set up in any old-age home housing at least 30 people. The measure was repeated in the most recent Knesset election, in late 2022, for old-age homes housing at least 75 people.In July, the coalition declined to renew the COVID-era measure. The decision was expected to negatively affect opposition parties in the October 27 election.Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee member Oded Forer — whose hawkish-secularist Yisrael Beytenu party was seen as especially likely to…
The Central Elections Committee (CEC) has approved placing polling stations in 159 old-age homes for the upcoming election, following a Supreme Court filing on petitions from elderly citizens. This decision comes after coalition lawmakers failed to renew a COVID-era provision that previously mandated special voting booths in these facilities. The repeal was expected to negatively impact opposition parties, with Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee member Oded Forer stating it would affect "between 35,000 and 37,000 people." The CEC's approval, based on an Interior Ministry recommendation and expert revisions, means 159 out of 290 previously surveyed old-age homes will host polling booths. Petitioners welcomed the move but expressed disappointment that "about 100 other ballot boxes will not be placed because of political calculations."
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