Arab voting may be deliberately disrupted by 'unusual delays,' Israeli civil rights watchdog warns

Jerusalem Post/Israel Election 2026ACRI warned that without immediate intervention, the delays could prevent large numbers of Arab voters from exercising their right to vote.Follow us on GooglePeople stand in a queue to vote during the national election, at a polling station in the Arab village of Taibe, northern Israel, October 27, 2026(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)OCTOBER 27, 2026 14:12Updated: OCTOBER 27, 2026 14:14Voting may be deliberately obstructed in polling stations across Arab sector towns, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) warned Tuesday, urgently appealing to Central Elections Committee (CEC) Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg to dispatch inspectors to polling stations following reports of significant and unexplained delays in the voting process.According to reports received by the association, voters are being processed unusually slowly, with long queues forming at numerous polling stations. ACRI expressed concern that the delays may not be accidental and could undermine Israeli Arab citizens' ability to exercise their right to vote in Tuesday's election.Reports came from numerous localities, including 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.Israeli officers reportedly delay Arab voting in Segev ShalomOne particularly unusual incident was reported at Segev Shalom High School, where large numbers of police officers and Border Police's National Guard personnel were reportedly preventing voters from entering the polling station compound, citing the need to manage overcrowding.A woman votes during the national election in the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, northern Israel, October 27, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)However, according to the report, only a small number of voters were inside the compound, while approximately 200 people had been waiting outside the school for an extended period as officers blocked their entry.ACRI warned that without immediate intervention, the delays could prevent large numbers of Arab voters from exercising their right to vote.The Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel also issued an appeal to the Central Elections Committee on Tuesday, demanding that Arabic language ballot slips be urgently delivered to polling stations following reports of a lack of Arab-language ballot slips at various polling stations.Follow us on Google