Israel's ruling party asks judges to keep polls open an hour longer
Likud and allies cited long lines, while opponents argued no unusual incident justified the move.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Voters in Israel faced the prospect of longer lines at polling stations on Tuesday after the Likud party formally requested that the Central Elections Committee extend voting hours by one hour. The request, submitted without a stated reason, joined a coalition of parties including Shas and Otzma Yehudit, which pointed to congestion at ballot boxes across the country.
The push for extra time comes as Israel records its highest voter turnout since 1973. Shas Chairman Arye Deri expressed concern about what he called apathy in Haredi and right-wing areas, contrasting it with strong participation in the Arab sector and left-wing strongholds. He noted that while massive lines formed in Bedouin communities in the Negev and Tel Aviv, a sense of complacency persisted in his own camp.
Weather conditions were also mentioned by local media as a potential factor in the debate. The decision rests solely with Justice Noam Sohlberg, the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, who must rule on whether the logistical challenges warrant keeping the polls open later.
Opposition to the extension came from the Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot. In a written response, the party argued that no unusual incident occurred to justify the request. They described the move as an attempt to create grounds for challenging the election's integrity, a tactic they said aligned with statements made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier that morning.
The parties involved are now awaiting Justice Sohlberg's ruling. If approved, the one-hour extension would apply nationwide, allowing late-arriving voters more time to cast ballots before the polls close.
