Israel Election Audit: Committee Rules No Flaws Found
The Central Elections Committee cleared the recent vote after a six-day review, despite Likud officials claiming over 1,200 complaints were ignored.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
Voters in Israel can expect the final tally of the recent election to be confirmed later today after the Central Elections Committee (CEC) declared the process intact. The committee announced on Wednesday that a full review found no evidence of compromise in the voting results. President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to receive the official figures later in the day, at which point the numbers will be made public under existing legal protocols.
The verification effort was massive. Approximately 250 public-sector attorneys worked with CEC staff for six days. The team examined protocols from 9,069 polling stations. They also conducted in-depth checks of voting materials, ballots, and voter registries where necessary. The scale of the audit was designed to ensure that the final count accurately reflected the choices made at the ballot box.
The committee processed a high volume of scrutiny requests during this period. Political factions and candidate lists submitted 2,452 inquiries concerning 1,350 specific ballot boxes. The general public added 1,239 inquiries regarding another 750 boxes. The CEC stated that every reported incident was investigated. Where the review indicated errors, the committee applied corrections to the official records based on the physical voting materials.
Justice Noam Sohlberg, the CEC chairman, described the effort as an 'Election Integrity' operation. He noted that a record number of polling stations underwent thorough review. Sohlberg stated that the scope and quality of the work demonstrate the committee's commitment to reflecting the will of the voters. He commended the staff and legal professionals for their dedicated work during the intensive period.
Attorney Din Livne, the acting Director-General of the CEC, emphasized that each inquiry was examined on its own merit. He said that whether the claim came from a political party or an individual citizen, it received individual attention. Livne affirmed that the goal was to investigate every claim thoroughly and make corrections where necessary. He stated that the findings will be published with full transparency.
The Likud party did not accept the committee's conclusion. Sagi Keisler, the party’s Election Integrity Representative, accused the CEC of failing in its duties. Keisler claimed that 1,281 complaints remained unresolved. He also pointed to irregularities he said occurred outside polling stations in the Arab sector. Keisler criticized the leadership, stating that Justice Sohlberg abandoned democratic values at a critical moment.
The announcement marks the end of the formal oversight phase. The official publication of the final numbers is the next step in the process. The CEC’s decision stands as the primary authoritative assessment of the electoral process, despite the objections raised by certain political representatives.
