Civil Rights Group Warns of Possible Obstruction at Arab Polling Stations in Israel

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) warned on Tuesday that voting could be deliberately obstructed at polling stations in Arab towns and villages, and it urged election officials to act quickly.

The group made an urgent appeal to Justice Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the Central Elections Committee (CEC), asking him to send inspectors to the affected stations. The request followed reports of significant and unexplained delays in the voting process.

According to information received by the association, voters are being processed unusually slowly, and long queues have formed at many polling stations. ACRI said it is concerned the delays may not be accidental and could damage the ability of Arab citizens of Israel to exercise their right to vote in Tuesday's election.

The reports came from a long list of localities. They include Rahat, Tel Sheva, Laqiya, Segev Shalom, Abu Tulul, Umm Batin, Iksal, Jaljulya, Kafr Kara, Jisr e-Zarka, Kafr Manda, Ar'ara, Tamra, Kafr Kanna, Tira and Daburiya.

One incident was described as particularly unusual. At Segev Shalom High School, large numbers of police officers and National Guard personnel from the Border Police were reportedly stopping voters from entering the polling station compound. The officers cited the need to manage overcrowding.

However, the report said only a small number of voters were actually inside the compound. Roughly 200 people had been waiting outside the school for an extended period while officers blocked their entry.

ACRI cautioned that without immediate intervention, the delays could stop large numbers of Arab voters from casting their ballots.

Separately, the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel also appealed to the Central Elections Committee on Tuesday. It demanded the urgent delivery of Arabic-language ballot slips to polling stations, following reports that some stations lacked them.