Double envelope in elections: What is it really and why is it needed? | Elections in Israel

The article explains what a double envelope is in Israeli elections, clarifying that it is a legal and routine procedure officially called an 'external envelope'. It details the mechanism, its uses for soldiers, hospitalized patients, and others, and presents data on the scope of use and the number of disqualifications, while distinguishing between the proper procedure and 'abnormal duplication' that requires investigation.

The article provides a comprehensive explanation of the term 'double envelope' in Israeli elections, clarifying that it is a legal and routine procedure officially called an 'external envelope'. The mechanism is designed to allow soldiers, hospitalized patients, prisoners, emissaries abroad, and people with limited mobility to vote outside their home polling station, while maintaining voting secrecy and preventing double voting. The article presents official data: in the 2020 elections, 333,603 people voted using external envelopes, a 37% increase compared to the previous elections. Of these, only about 1% of the envelopes were disqualified. The article emphasizes the distinction between the proper procedure and 'abnormal duplication' – a situation where the same voter has two external envelopes. It quotes the State Comptroller, who found that 23% of the envelopes disqualified in the 2020 elections belonged to polling committee members, and notes that the official data provides no basis for quantifying how many duplicate envelopes are forgeries. The article compares the Israeli mechanism to other countries and concludes with the State Comptroller's recommendations for improving the process.