"A severe blow to the democratic right": The initiative to transport the elderly to the polls
Following the government's decision not to place polling stations in nursing homes that are not geriatric facilities, Adi Israeli launched an initiative to accompany and transport the elderly and people with mobility issues to vote. Within weeks, over 7,000 volunteers have registered.
In every election cycle, there are calls to increase voter turnout and ensure polling stations are accessible to every citizen. A new initiative has emerged to provide transport and accompaniment to polling stations on election day for thousands of elderly people living in nursing homes and assisted living complexes.
This follows the government's decision not to place polling stations in the upcoming elections in nursing homes that are not classified as geriatric facilities. In response, petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court by senior citizens, demanding that the state maintain the mechanism used during the last two election cycles due to COVID-19, which allowed for voting within nursing homes.
Adi Israeli (28), a master's student at Tel Aviv University, launched the "Election Escorts" project. To date, it has registered more than 7,000 volunteers who will accompany elderly people and those with mobility difficulties to the polls, facilitating their ability to exercise their democratic right.
An Intergenerational Bridge
"When I saw the news about the intention to remove polling stations from nursing homes, while they remain in prisons, it made me very angry," says Israeli. "This is a severe blow to the basic democratic right of older people, regardless of their political affiliation. I decided to establish an initiative that would create an intergenerational bridge."
Israeli emphasizes that the initiative is non-partisan. "I don't care who they vote for. There is no discourse between volunteers and the people we help regarding their political choices. Our sole goal is to ensure the participation of the older generation in political life and to protect their right to vote."
Scaling Up
The project has grown rapidly. A dedicated website was built to manage logistics, allowing volunteers to register and mapping their locations, vehicle accessibility for wheelchairs, and availability.
"We have less than three months to prepare. In our model, every vehicle will have a driver and an additional volunteer. They will help the person get to the polling station and wait outside. We do not enter behind the curtain with the voter. Everything is efficient, safe, and simple," Israeli explains.
Assisting in the management is Yael Ben Ner, a veteran social activist and former member of the Hod HaSharon City Council. Despite the project's success, Israeli notes: "Feedback is very warm, but there is a feeling that it is a pity such an initiative needs to exist at all. It is sad that we have reached a situation where citizens must step in to protect democratic rights that should be guaranteed by the state."
The team is also ensuring that volunteers who speak various languages are available to assist elderly immigrants who may not be fluent in Hebrew, ensuring that no one is left behind.
