The "loophole" Israelis exploit to vote from a different polling station - and the criminal risk

The Central Elections Committee identifies a rise in the number of voters at accessible polling stations, exploiting a loophole that allows voting from any locality by declaring a disability that is not visible to the eye. A false declaration is a criminal offense punishable by up to six months in prison.

In every election cycle, the Central Elections Committee identifies an increase in the number of people voting at accessible polling stations. While by law every citizen must vote at a polling station in their place of residence, more and more Israelis are exploiting a loophole that allows them to vote from any locality using an accessible polling station for people with disabilities. Voting at these stations is conditional on a voter's declaration of a disability that is not visible to the eye, and members of the election committee are forbidden from asking what the disability is. A false declaration is a criminal offense punishable by up to six months in prison. The article notes that this is a security loophole that began in the last decade, and that in every election cycle there is an increase in the number of voters based on such a declaration, with no way of knowing whether these are true declarations or voters who are breaking the law.