Elections Committee Expands Election Day Operations Amid Covid

Israel’s Central Elections Committee is planning an expanded election day operation to accommodate thousands of voters in quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Times of Israel reported on Monday.

CEC director Orly Adas outlined a number of special operations on election day, March 23: 15,000 voting stations throughout the country, rather than the normal 11,000 to shorten long lines that will likely be caused by social distancing; shuttles to polling stations for active covid patients; dozens of buses to be converted into ballot stations for people in quarantine and to ease crowding in some areas.

She said they might also have stations at Ben Gurion Airport for Israelis arriving that day to vote. If so, it would be the first time voting has been possible at the airport.

“It is still in the initial stages of consideration by our professional team,” Ades said, according to the Jerusalem Post. “If the idea gets fleshed out, it will come to a vote in the committee. Of course, it would be for voting on Election Day and not before.”

The Knesset Economic Affairs Committee has approved the CEC’s budget totaling NIS 674 million ($202 million), including NIS 237 million ($71 million) for coping with the coronavirus crisis.