Website Glitch Leaves Israelis Abroad Unable to Check Voting Eligibility

A malfunction has hit the government system that allows Israelis abroad to check their eligibility to vote in the upcoming election. The issue was reported Monday evening by Israel Hayom. Citizens currently abroad who plan to travel to Israel to vote say the glitch is preventing them from confirming that they are listed in the voter registry, less than a day before the deadline for completing registration.

Under election law, only citizens included in the voter registry are entitled to exercise their right to vote at the ballot box. Israelis whose center of life is not in Israel are removed from the registry. Those who may be eligible to remain on the list and vote have been unable to determine their status.

According to the report, Israelis abroad complained that all websites and channels for checking with the officials responsible for registration were not functioning. Dozens of citizens said they were unable to find out whether and how they can vote. The Interior Ministry stated that "the WhatsApp and text-message service center is undergoing an upgrade, and this is a technical malfunction. The issue should not affect them, since the deadline for requesting an address correction is September 3, and the voter registry will close permanently on September 7."