Indonesia held local elections with over 1,550 candidates competing for regional leadership posts across more than 500 regencies and cities. However, officials worry about voter fatigue and decreased participation, which could impact the legitimacy of election results.
Indonesia held local elections on Wednesday, with over 1,550 candidates competing for regional leadership posts in over 500 regencies and cities across the archipelago.
This year’s polls were the first time Indonesians elected local leaders on the same day across all regions, with posts including regional governors, heads of administrative regions, and municipal mayors. Vote counting is expected to last a few weeks into mid-December.
In Indonesia’s decentralized political system, these officials are responsible for providing local public services and dealing with regional governance and budgeting decisions.
The regional elections come after the presidential and parliamentary elections in February. Former general Prabowo Subianto won the presidency and was inaugurated in October.
However, after a mammoth presidential election, officials worry voters are becoming ambivalent. Voter fatigue is where the public becomes weary of continuous election processes requiring them to make decisions in multiple general elections.
A survey conducted in late October by the Jakarta-based research organization Litbang Kompas found that approximately 43% of respondents in the populous region of Central Java were undecided.
Data from the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) showed voter turnout during the February presidential election came in under 82%. The commission set a target voter turnout rate of 82% for the regional elections.
Idham Holik, a member of the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU), acknowledged that one of the significant challenges in the upcoming regional elections is political fatigue or exhaustion among the public.
“This is an important issue for us to address. If such a situation arises, there is a potential for decreased participation. Meanwhile, we have a mandate to increase voter turnout,” he was quoted as saying by the Antara news agency.
To some extent, the public may even avoid consuming political news and refrain from going to voting centers. This could result in lower voter turnout, thereby raising questions about the legitimacy of the election results.
“There is a tendency for young people to be fatigued by political discussions from the last election, and now they are confronted with regional elections. This has led to reluctance or even delays in seeking information related to the regional elections,” said Haykal, a researcher with Perludem, an Indonesian non-profit researching elections and democracy.
Haykal added that disparities in political education, access to the internet and information across different regions have also contributed to the low public interest.
He further stated that many voters find it challenging to obtain information about the programs offered by regional head candidates, which in turn could negatively impact the turnout.
Trubus Rahadiansyah, a public policy expert from Trisakti University in Jakarta, said that nomination of candidates by political parties without reflecting on public preferences could explain the lack of enthusiasm among residents.
He told DW that many regional head candidates are unfamiliar to the public, and can be perceived as mere extensions of the central elite.
Roni, a resident of Bogor, West Java, could not even mention the exact month of the 2024 regional election. “September?” he said when asked about the date by a DW reporter.
According to a survey conducted by Litbang Kompas in late October, approximately 43% of respondents in Central Java were undecided about their vote, indicating a lack of enthusiasm among residents. The Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) set a target voter turnout rate of 82%, but data from the February presidential election showed that voter turnout came in under 82%.
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Disparities in political education, access to information: Voters find it challenging to obtain information about programs offered by regional head candidates, which can negatively impact turnout.
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Nomination of candidates without reflecting public preferences: The nomination process often prioritizes party interests over public preferences, leading to a lack of enthusiasm among residents.
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Unfamiliarity with regional head candidates: Many voters perceive regional head candidates as mere extensions of the central elite, rather than representatives of their local communities.
The impact of election fatigue on voter turnout is a significant concern for officials. If left unaddressed, it could lead to decreased participation and lower voter turnout, thereby raising questions about the legitimacy of election results.
