AI, fraud, and cyberattacks: What security threats face Israel’s 2026 election?

Israel's Central Elections Committee is preparing for the 2026 election, facing threats from AI, deepfakes, and disinformation. The voting process remains physical with paper ballots and offline systems. CEC acting director general Dean Livne explains the system's resilience, new AI labeling requirements, and coordination with security bodies to counter threats.

Israel's Central Elections Committee (CEC) is preparing for the 2026 election, confronting threats from generative AI, deepfakes, and online disinformation. CEC acting director general Dean Livne explains that despite technological advances, the voting process remains deliberately physical: voters mark paper ballots, which are verified through multiple layers of checks before results enter secure, offline systems. The CEC has amended election law to require labeling of AI-generated campaign material and coordinates with the Shin Bet, IDF, and police to counter disinformation. Livne states that systematic election rigging is 'almost impossible' due to the paper trail, and that the CEC can investigate allegations by examining physical records. The article notes that the CEC's systems are not connected to the internet, and that the public can compare handwritten protocols with electronic results.