In the convention for presenting the audit on local government, Engelman said: “We call upon all bodies active in the elections that under the law must register at the State Comptroller’s office and operate according to the limitations, to register. In our audit on the upcoming elections, we will emphasize the activity of all active bodies (usually non-profit organizations) according to that defined by law, in order to verify that their activity has been registered and is visible to the public.” It should be noted that no active body has yet registered at the State Comptroller’s office.
The law legislated in 2017 imposes the obligation of becoming organized and reporting, as well as limitation of donations, on individuals or groups of citizens interested in engaging in election activity, through bodies other than parties or bodies connected with factions. Election activity is defined as: Creating a database containing the identifying data of voters alongside information on their voting intentions, illegal transporting of voters to the polls and without full remuneration in order to ensure their vote, direct appeal to voters to vote for or against a certain party, and propaganda through advertisements calling to vote for or against a list of candidates.
Under the law, a body conducting election activity valued above NIS 104,500 shall be subject to the obligation to register at the State Comptroller, with limits set for receipt of donations. Election activity valued in excess of NIS 418,000 will in addition be obligated to incorporate as a non-profit or community interest company and appoint an accountant. If foreign donations received, total donations shall not exceed NIS 626,800, and foreign donations shall not exceed a third of total donations received.