A potentially illegal ballot-harvesting scheme has been taking place in central Israel ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday, according to a Jerusalem Post investigation.
Ballot harvesting is a process in which completed absentee ballots are collected and taken by a third party to a polling office. It is strictly prohibited in at least six US states, with many others placing partial limits on ballot submissions.
The organizer of the operation, iVoteIsrael, advertises itself as a group of American olim (immigrants) “who share concern for the future of America” and promote voting by Americans living in Israel “as part of their civic duty and as a way to exercise their rights.”
Nevertheless, a Post investigation has found that iVoteIsrael has been engaging in ballot harvesting.
While iVoteIsrael claims to encourage voters to submit their ballots, concerns have been raised that the group is offering a potentially illegal service by collecting absentee ballots en masse. Although some states in the US have no policy against this, several states, including Pennsylvania and Alabama, have laws that prohibit ballot harvesting.
Other states, including Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, and Massachusetts, have placed partial limits on ballot collection.
They only allow specific family members or legal guardians to submit ballots on behalf of their relatives. Alaska, New York, Tennessee, and some other states do not have a specific policy.
There is no method to verify that the states’ restrictions are being adhered to when collecting ballots of their residents.
Who has been collecting the ballots?
When a potential user of iVoteIsrael calls its hotline, a message gives various drop-off spots in central Israel. It also provides the names of the families at those addresses. Further research revealed the identities of some of the individuals.
The drop-off spot in Jerusalem’s Sanhedria neighborhood is at a property owned by Chaim and Simi Malinowitz. Chaim Malinowitz, who passed away in 2019, was a father of 10 and a well-known haredi rabbi. He was a Talmudic scholar and the general editor of an edition of the Babylonian Talmud published by ArtScroll.
The drop-off spot in Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood is owned by Rabbi Yissachar Dov Krakowski, the director of OU Kosher in Israel. He was a field representative for the OU in 2009 before he became its director.
The drop-off spot in Beit Shemesh belongs to Yonah Kaufman, a member of the City Council. He is in charge of its health, aliyah, and absorption portfolios.
The drop-off spot in Givat Ze’ev, north of Jerusalem, is owned by Nechemia and Naama Malinowitz.The Jerusalem Post reached out to iVoteIsrael for comment. The US Embassy declined to comment but provided The Post with general election material prepared by the US government which addressed the illegality of ballot harvesting.
Tal Spungin contributed to this report.
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