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Nov 28, 2019
Proposed Law: Absentee voting
MK Zvi Hauser has proposed a law that would allow absentee voting in Israeli elections.
According to the statistics, about 550,000 Israelis have been living abroad for more than a year. That is besides for those living abroad less time than that, and not including Israelis abroad for short-term reasons such as travel, work, medical needs, studies, etc. Israel does not allow citizens to vote when outside of Israel - only diplomats and people working in the armed forces and on assignment abroad get to vote absentee. That means hundreds of thousands of Israelis are missing out on voting in Israeli elections.
MK Hauser says that most countries in the world now allow absentee voting, and it is time for Israel to adjust the Israeli law to take into account changes to society that have happened over the past half a century.
According to his law proposal, an Israeli abroad would be allowed to vote absentee if he registers in advance to do so, and he would only qualify for absentee voting if he/she has already voted in a prior election.
source: Haredim10
I am not quite sure who this benefits most, but I am sure Hauser feels it will benefit Kachol Lavan at least enough to be worthwhile and probably more than other parties.
I have no strong feelings about it. I get the reason to not allow it as why let people living elsewhere have an influence on your country, but I vote absentee in USA elections and I know the argument for it and the fact that we file or pay taxes also ties us to the country in a way that justifies it, so Israelis abroad also continue to have interests in their home country of Israel and are not just foreigners having an unfair influence.
According to the statistics, about 550,000 Israelis have been living abroad for more than a year. That is besides for those living abroad less time than that, and not including Israelis abroad for short-term reasons such as travel, work, medical needs, studies, etc. Israel does not allow citizens to vote when outside of Israel - only diplomats and people working in the armed forces and on assignment abroad get to vote absentee. That means hundreds of thousands of Israelis are missing out on voting in Israeli elections.
MK Hauser says that most countries in the world now allow absentee voting, and it is time for Israel to adjust the Israeli law to take into account changes to society that have happened over the past half a century.
According to his law proposal, an Israeli abroad would be allowed to vote absentee if he registers in advance to do so, and he would only qualify for absentee voting if he/she has already voted in a prior election.
source: Haredim10
I am not quite sure who this benefits most, but I am sure Hauser feels it will benefit Kachol Lavan at least enough to be worthwhile and probably more than other parties.
I have no strong feelings about it. I get the reason to not allow it as why let people living elsewhere have an influence on your country, but I vote absentee in USA elections and I know the argument for it and the fact that we file or pay taxes also ties us to the country in a way that justifies it, so Israelis abroad also continue to have interests in their home country of Israel and are not just foreigners having an unfair influence.
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Labels:
election,
proposed law
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Only two countries in the world, the US and Eritrea, each for its own reasons, tax citizens living abroad.
ReplyDeleteShould be a time limit. If over 5 years (say) outside the country, then ex-pat Israelis no longer should be able to influence the make-up of the Knesset.
ReplyDeleteThe proxy or absentee vote should be mainly for Israelis who are temporarily outside of Israel due to holidays (e.g. booked before elections called) or other circumstances (e.g. study programs overseas).