Central Election Committee Issues New Guidelines on Defective Ballots
Israel's Central Election Committee issued new guidelines ensuring minor ballot flaws do not invalidate votes, provided voter secrecy is strictly maintained.
The Central Election Committee presidency, chaired by Judge Noam Solberg, issued guidelines regarding ballot papers with minor flaws.
The directive states that minor defects such as tiny holes, stains, or stray marks clearly not made by the voter, printing errors, or slight deviations from approved samples do not automatically invalidate a ballot, provided the intended list remains clearly identifiable.
At the same time, the committee stressed that any ballot enabling voter identification must not be accepted immediately. If a flawed ballot could potentially allow identification, it is set aside until counting concludes. Should another identical flawed ballot appear, both count as valid; otherwise, a single unique ballot is disqualified to protect voter secrecy.
All decisions are documented in the polling station protocol. The directive emphasizes that the overarching principle is to ensure every valid vote counts whenever possible.
