Parties sidestep app ban inside polling stations, asking voters outside to identify themselves

Parties barred from using voter-tracking apps inside polling stations found other ways on Tuesday to track which of their supporters turned out to vote.

Under this election's rules, parties may not use voter-management apps such as Elector inside polling stations. The restriction aims to stop party systems from collecting voter information inside polling stations and to protect voters’ privacy and the integrity of the vote.

Parties, including Likud and United Torah Judaism, have apparently found a workaround. Representatives and activists stationed outside polling stations are reportedly asking voters to identify themselves, then logging in to party systems to record that those voters have cast their ballots. Voters can choose to do this freely, within the limits of the law.

WhatsApp is also allegedly being used to track the vote. When contacted, Likud’s Elector operation said its system was working normally and that it was encouraging supporters of the “national camp,” as the right-wing bloc calls itself, to vote.

The instructions sent over WhatsApp were detailed: open the app, go to the “Contacts” tab and mark supporters. A follow-up message asked recipients to use the app to message all their supporters.

So while the app has been kept out of polling stations, parties are still running a digital operation just outside them, updating voter information, reaching supporters, and managing their Election Day effort.