Could the March 23 elections be postponed over the third coronavirus outbreak? Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch said Wednesday that "were anyone to ask the Health Ministry, now, in the middle of a lockdown, whether to hold the elections, any sensible person would say to postpone it until after the lockdown because there's great risk in holding elections with such a [high] morbidity rate."
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
In an interview with local radio station 103FM, Kisch said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not addressed the issue at this time and that the responsibility falls on the Central Elections Committee.
Kisch later told Israel Hayom that he spoke out of concern for public health alone rather than a desire to postpone the elections. "From a health perspective, it would be very dangerous [to hold the elections now.] We are doing everything to bring down the morbidity rate."
A Likud statement said that this was not the party's official position and that it has no intention to postpone the elections.
Central Elections Committee Director-General Orly Adas refrained from commenting on Kisch's remarks that they might have to postpone the March 23 elections, saying only it was a political matter on which the Knesset must rule.
Adas said that the committee is preparing to hold the elections even in the case of thousands of new cases. To reduce crowds, they will increase the number of polling stations by about 30%, set up special voting booths in nursing homes and assisted living residences where those in sick or in quarantine will be able to vote, and open drive-through voting stations.
To postpone the election, the Knesset must pass a special law by an 80-MK majority vote.
Elections in Israel have only ever been postponed once, due to the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
