The 2024 general election will be the fifth election held in Indonesia’s post-1998 democratization era. It also represents a critical turning point that will shape the future direction of democracy in the country. Although various studies have highlighted serious challenges within Indonesia’s democracy, elections remain the mechanism most trusted by the public as the only legitimate way to transfer power. For that reason, the presence of elections that are free, fair, honest, and conducted with integrity is essential to ensuring that they are meaningful and beneficial for democracy.
Delivering such elections is no simple task. Indonesia’s elections are among the largest and most complex in the world. At the same time, the challenges are significant. Money politics and vote buying, the politicization of identity issues related to ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup relations, the disconnect between voters and electoral participants, as well as low levels of accountability and political representation, are among the key issues frequently raised by the public.
The Empowered Voter Handbook is presented as part of PUSKAPOL UI’s effort to support the successful conduct of the 2024 elections and to strengthen popular sovereignty in democracy by empowering citizens as voters. This handbook provides essential information about what the 2024 elections are, how they work, what voters need to do to exercise their voting rights, and how to ensure that their participation has real significance and contributes to strengthening democracy.
We hope this handbook will serve not only as a practical guide for voters but also as a tool for political education that can be used by election organizers, civil society, community groups, and educational institutions, including universities and schools. As a research institution that focuses on elections and democracy, PUSKAPOL UI hopes this initiative will make a meaningful contribution to strengthening democracy in Indonesia.
Finally, we hope this handbook proves useful.
Jakarta, 16 January 2024
Director of PUSKAPOL UI
Dr. Hurriyah
