Sohlberg ruling to stop announcing voters' names 'restores respect,' says former deputy A-G

Former deputy attorney-general Mike Blass said Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg's ruling banning observers from announcing voters' identities restores privacy and prevents disclosure of sensitive information and political views. Blass explained the ruling followed a comprehensive hearing and that Sohlberg concluded the practice infringes on privacy under Israel's laws. He noted the ruling also covers sensitive polling locations and that reporting who voted could reveal political leanings.

Former deputy attorney-general Mike Blass said Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg's ruling to ban observers from announcing voters' identities restores voters' privacy and prevents the disclosure of sensitive information and political views. In an interview with 103FM on Thursday, Blass explained that the ruling followed a comprehensive hearing before Sohlberg, with all relevant parties, including the Privacy Protection Authority and the attorney-general, presenting their legal positions. Blass said Sohlberg conducted a thorough analysis of Israel's privacy protection laws and election laws, concluding that the practice constitutes an infringement of privacy. He described how the reporting process worked, noting that observers would write down voters' names as they entered polling stations, and that this information was being used for more than its intended purpose. Blass also said the ruling addressed polling stations in sensitive facilities, such as those for people with disabilities, shelters for abused women, and hospitals, where reporting a voter's presence could reveal additional personal information. He noted that Sohlberg referred to the fact that at some polling stations, it is possible to draw approximate conclusions about a voter's political views. Blass said the ruling restored respect for voters' right to privacy and clarified the limits of observers' authority, noting that observers are a type of public employee for that day and have no authority to do what they were doing. He also recalled that he had previously served as a party observer decades ago, before Israel's privacy laws and constitutional protections had changed.