Summary of Laws Associated with Elections

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Summary of Laws Associated with Elections

Parties Law - 1992
The law defines a party as "a group of persons who joined together in order to promote in a legal way political or social objectives and to express them in the Knesset by their representatives." In order to form a party, the Party Registrar registers "one hundred persons or more who are adult citizens and residents of Israel" found in the Voters' Registry. A party will not be registered if in one of its objectives or actions, explicitly or suggested, is one of the following:

The rejection of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.
Incitement of racism.
Support of the armed struggle of enemy states or terrorist organizations against the state of Israel.
A reasonable basis to conclude that the party will be used for illegal activities.

A registered party is a corporation, and is required to have the following institutions: A central institution (usually a "Central Committee"), a body responsible for running party matters and implementation of decisions (usually a "bureau") and an institution that audits. A party cannot have economic businesslike activities. A party must administrate account books, balance sheets and financial reports.

Parties Financing Law - 1973
The Parties Financing law deals with the ongoing financing of the parties and their special funding during elections. The law determines the criteria for government financing of parties and restricts the origins of financing for the parties from other sources. The law determines the terms of loans and the sum of contributions that are allowed to be received. The law also determines who may contribute. Contributions given anonymously are illegal.

Governmental financing of a party is a function of the number of Knesset members of that party in the current Knesset. A "financing unit" is the sum a party in entitled to, based on the number of Knesset members it has. One of the reasons that Knesset factions split and/or unite before elections is directly related to party financing. From time to time, the parties try to evade the law by means of non-profit organizations affiliated with them.

Knesset Elections Law (Consolidated Version) - 1969
The Knesset Elections Law deals with all of the organizational and legal aspects of the elections. It determines who has the right to vote and where; all of the principles that determine the locations of polling regions, stations, and elections committees. On the administrative side of the elections is the Central Elections Committee whose task is to prepare the groundwork for the elections (for the candidates and for the voters), to carry out the elections, to count votes, and to publicize the results. Knesset parliamentary groups are represented in the Central Elections Committee, and its chairperson is a Supreme Court justice. Every list running for elections must be registered through the Central Elections Committee.

According to the law, participation in the elections may only happen within the borders of the State of Israel (including Jewish Settlements in Judia, Samaria, and Gaza). The only exceptions are Israeli citizens on registered Israeli naval vessels, or Israeli citizens residing abroad within a diplomatic framework. Any other citizen abroad may not vote.

The law also establishes the punitive measures taken against any forgery or fraud in the elections. It also delimits the amount and nature of the propaganda allowed by the party lists running in elections (this in addition to the special law on this issue).

Knesset Elections Law (Propaganda Methods) - 1959
The "propaganda law" deals with the limitations placed on the lists in terms of the propaganda they are allowed to publicize during the 60 days prior to elections. The limitations include all types of promotions, including advertising and the use of public places. The law prohibits any type of advertisement on the television or radio for 60 days before the elections EXCEPT for within the framework established by law specifically for that purpose. These media carry very limited advertisements starting from 21 days before the elections at specified times.