A dispute has emerged between political parties over demands to extend voting hours in the elections for the 26th Knesset.
After Likud appealed Tuesday to Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, requesting that polling stations remain open beyond 10:00 p.m., Shas and Otzma Yehudit announced that they were joining the request. The Yashar Party, meanwhile, expressed strong opposition to the move.
The original request was submitted on behalf of Likud by attorney Ilan Bombach following reports of unusually heavy congestion and long lines at polling stations across the country, raising concerns that some citizens would not manage to vote before the scheduled closing time.
The letter stated: "Throughout Election Day, reports have been received of exceptionally heavy congestion, described as unprecedented, and long lines at polling stations across the country, resulting in prolonged waiting times and raising genuine concern that many citizens will not be able to exercise their right to vote before the polling stations close."
Likud argues that as the closing time approaches, voters may decide not to leave their homes out of concern that they will not have enough time to cast their ballots.
The party also claims that rainy weather is making it more difficult for voters to reach polling stations and could lead to a decline in participation during the final hours of Election Day.
The letter explains that extending voting hours would allow voters to arrive over a longer period, reducing congestion and shortening waiting times.
"We cannot accept a situation in which citizens forgo their constitutional right to vote simply because they believe they will not have enough time to reach a polling station and cast their ballot," the appeal stated.
Attorney Bombach further emphasized that "every vote not cast because of concern that there will not be enough time to vote is a vote that cannot be recovered once the polling stations close."
At the conclusion of the letter, Justice Sohlberg was asked to urgently order an extension of voting hours nationwide and immediately announce the decision to the public.
The Otzma Yehudit Party also announced its support for extending voting hours.
In a statement, the party said: "The Otzma Yehudit Party joins Likud's request to extend voting beyond 10:00 p.m., in light of the congestion and exceptionally long waiting times at polling stations."
The Shas movement subsequently joined the request, calling for voting to be extended by an additional hour.
"Due to the exceptional congestion recorded at polling stations, Shas joins Likud's demand to extend voting hours by one hour," the party announced.
Shas explained that the purpose of the request was to prevent a situation in which citizens waiting in line would be unable to vote.
The Yashar Party, however, announced its opposition to Likud's request, arguing that nothing had occurred to justify changing the voting hours established in advance.
"No exceptional event has occurred that would justify approving the request, which is intended to lay the groundwork for allegations challenging the integrity of the elections," the party stated.
The dispute over voting hours comes amid exceptionally high voter turnout.
According to the Central Elections Committee, 55.7% of eligible voters had cast their ballots by 4:00 p.m., compared to 47.5% at the same hour in the previous elections.
This represents an increase of 8.2 percentage points and the highest turnout recorded at that hour since the Elections Committee began tracking the figures.