Voters complain of 'immodesty' at polling station
Jerusalem's Bayit VeGan residents offended by the fact female Election Committee representatives wore pants
There have thus far been no significant events disturbing the Election Day peace.
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The Central Elections Committee received a complaint that a polling station representative in Jerusalem's Orthodox Bayit VeGan neighborhood was "inappropriately dressed."
It was claimed that this disturbed the voters and the Elections Committee said it will send a representative to review the matter. "There is a haredi community here and they saw a woman wearing pants. That was the problem," said one of the polling station reps.
Roughly 20,000 police and volunteers have been dispersed throughout the country to maintain the order.
Police said that all polling stations have been opened and that minor occurrences took place and were treated without disturbing the democratic process.
Israel Police said that since the polls opened, 65 files have been opened for election and Knesset Elections Law-related crimes.
Police Chief Yohanan Danino visited the Central Elections Committee headquarters at the Knesset and met with its chairman Justice Elyakim Rubinstein. "I want to call upon the entire public, all Israeli citizens, Jews and Arabs – to go vote. This is your day, go vote," said Rubinstein.
Party ballots (Photo: Hassan Shaalan)
Future voters (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
The committee received reports on the intentions of Shas activists in the Hadera vicinity to cast fake Habayit Hayehudi, Am Shalem and Koach Lehashpia party ballots. The Central Elections Committee therefore instructed its representatives at the ballots to be on the alert.
The Otzma LeYisrael party filed an urgent request to stop the voting in the polling station at Yad Binyamin located in the Nahal Sorek Regional Council. They claimed that Habayit Hayehudi activists removed their ballots from the box. "We hope that this is a local initiative and not part of Habayit Hayehudi's policy," they stressed. Habayit Hayehudi refused to respond.
The Yesh Atid party claimed that at various polling stations around the country, the letters representing their party on the voting slip were flipped. The Elections Committee said it would examine the issue.
The Ale Yarok (Green Leaf) party complained that their ballots were missing from some of the IDF polling stations. The party said that this is problematic since this "sector is one of Ale Yarok's target audiences." Elections Committee sources said that they were unaware of the missing party ballots.
Tayibe residents complained that the Arab party ballots are not in Arabic. "It is a shame and a disgrace" said Adel Abd al-Hai, a resident of the city.
"It shows the Central Elections Committee disregards us and wants to confuse the residents."
Another resident added "we need to vote in a respectable manner. I couldn't believe that there were no slips in Arabic. I decided to leave the place and not vote until they bring us the proper ballots."
One of the polling station secretaries said that he was not aware of the shortage. "I understand the residents and justify their every word. There are voters who did not want to vote because there are no Arabic ballots."
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