Central Elections Committee Concludes Audit of 26th Knesset Results
Israel's Central Elections Committee completed its extensive audit of the 26th Knesset vote, confirming no impact on final results despite ongoing fraud investigations.
The Central Elections Committee announced the completion of its comprehensive audit of the 26th Knesset election results, officially confirming that no irregularities or findings indicative of vote tampering or changes to the recorded outcomes were discovered. The announcement follows investigations into suspected electoral fraud involving Ra'am party activists, alongside Likud's claims of systematic irregularities in Arab sector polling stations and reports regarding potential foreign interference.
While the committee emphasized that all public and party grievances were thoroughly examined, the official statement did not detail the specific handling of the ongoing criminal investigations or the cash seizure case. The final official results are set to be formally presented to the President of the State and published in the official gazette.
According to the committee, the audit spanned six full working days, covering protocols from 9,069 polling stations—representing approximately 75 percent of the 12,018 regular polling stations across Israel. This marks a significant expansion compared to the 25th Knesset elections, which audited 5,100 stations. Furthermore, 350 stations underwent an exhaustive inspection of all physical voting materials, voter registries, and accompanying documentation.
During the operation, the committee received 2,452 inquiries from party lists concerning 1,350 different polling stations, as well as 1,239 public inquiries regarding incidents at 750 stations. The committee clarified that all reports were fully reviewed, with necessary register corrections implemented where required. The administrative review, however, remains distinct from ongoing criminal investigations into electoral bribery or foreign meddling.
Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg, Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, highlighted the unprecedented scale of the verification operation. "The committee examined an unprecedented number of polling stations to ensure electoral integrity, reflecting our deep commitment to accurately portraying the voter's will," Solberg stated, praising the professional efforts of the staff.
