The Central Elections Commission (CEC) looks upon the participation of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the electoral processes with great interest. According to CEC procedures, Palestinian political prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons have the right to registration and candidacy by proxy. However, the Elections Law dictates appearing in person for voting, an aspect the Israeli authorities would not allow. In addition, Israeli authorities refuse to enter special arrangements or to open polling centers inside its prisons, which denies thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons their right to vote and participate in electoral processes.
During the latest legislative elections in 2006, the CEC provoked the issue of prisoners’ and detainees’ participation in voting and candidacy, and demanded permission for its staff to access Israeli prisoners and to set up ballot boxes there, in accordance with the arrangements made in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This comes especially after the nomination of a number of prisoners and detainees during these elections. However, the Israeli authorities denied the request, resulting in none of the candidate prisoners/detainees being able to participate in voting due to the Israeli authorities’ refusal of any arrangements with this regard.