Israel Police said Sunday they will deploy some 20,000 officers across 13,000 polling stations throughout the country on Election Day on March 23.
The police said they will also deploy 15 special teams, including undercover, at hundreds of polling stations where unusual events have been recorded in the past. The teams will be tasked with preventing "any attempts to harm the election’s integrity."
In addition, about 3,500 police officers equipped with body cameras will patrol the areas around polling stations. Some officers will be equipped with tablet computers, which will enable them to verify the identity of the voters.
“We will allow every citizen to go to the polls and vote safely,” said Head of the Police Operations Division Assistant Commissioner Shimon Nachmani.
“There will be undercover and regular forces, whose job will be to prevent any attempts to disrupt the elections. Alhough the police currently have no information on attempts to disrupt the election, we are ready for any scenario.”
Among the polling stations that will be monitored by the police, will be those intended for coronavirus carriers and people in self-isolation, including stations located at Ben Gurion Airport and across some of the country's stadiums.
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An officer during Israel's last election escorts a man to the polling station
(Photo: Police PR)
The police added they have also made preparations on how to deal with hundreds of thousands of Israelis who are expected to take advantage of Election Day to visit the country’s nature reserves, parks, beaches and the consequent heavy traffic expected on the roads.
During the March 23 election, 6,578,084 Israelis will be able to exercise their right to vote. This is an increase of 1.9% from the previous elections.