Infection Election

About to Go to the Polls – Again!

Israel is getting ready for another election round tomorrow. Many countries are watching with interest in how Israel deals with “an infection election,” including the United States, where presidential and congressional elections will be held in November.

There are several thousand people in Israel who have quarantined themselves after coming into contact with possible carriers of the coronavirus who have recently visited countries where outbreaks of the illness have been reported or could have come in contact with foreign tourists who came to Israel and then tested positive or became infected after returning home. The Central Elections Committee has set up some dozen voting stations around the country for those citizens for tomorrow’s election.

Infection and Precaution

Israel’s Ministry of Health announced that if those who have isolated themselves do not have symptoms such as a fever over 38 degrees (100.4˚ F), a cough, or trouble breathing, they can go to the special polling tents. They should come alone in private vehicles without stopping anywhere else on the way, and not park in public parking garages.

While awaiting their turn, says the ministry, no person should stand closer than two meters (six feet) from their fellow voters, or touch anything.

They will enter special, heavy plastic tents, wearing masks and latex gloves, one at a time. They will have to sign a declaration that they are voting in a booth set up for quarantined individuals, after which the pen will be thrown away.

Their voting slips will be sealed in double envelopes, just like the votes of soldiers on their bases and hospitalized patients. Regular volunteer observers could not be found to oversee and count these votes, so emergency medical technicians from Magen David Adom; Israel’s emergency medical, disaster, ambulance, and blood bank have stepped up to do the job.

The volunteers will wear smocks, gloves, and masks, and make sure that the correct distance is kept between the voters. They will sit in one tent, with a clear plastic window that will give them a view into the actual attached “booth.” These special polls will only be open between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

According to Magen David Adom CEO Eli Bin, “These are not sick people and there is little chance that they are contagious, but everyone is adhering to the Health Ministry’s guidelines to ensure public safety.” Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, director-general of the Health Ministry, says Israelis should not have any hesitations about voting in tomorrow’s elections because of the coronavirus.

The Situation is Under Control and Safe

“The situation is under control. Everyone who was infected with the coronavirus, we know where they were infected and this is important that it’s safe to go vote. Don’t hesitate… go vote,” Bar Siman-Tov says, “everything is safe and you don’t need to worry,” he says.

The two leading parties, Likud and Blue and White are fighting for every vote. Yet a poll last week showed that 6.5 percent said they were thinking of not going to vote due to their fear of getting infected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Magen David Adom call center and said, ” We are in control and it is safe to go and vote.”

Netanyahu also assured voters that the police would be on hand in polling stations to stop disruption and provocations.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman told voters not to come to the polls with masks on. Anyone under suspicion of having come in contact with the coronavirus will be voting at the designated stations.

Please pray with us, as the Holy Spirit leads, for this election, for safety, order and the will of God to be done.