Golput May Rise Potential Misuse of Ballot in 2019 Election

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ahead of the Presidential Election and Legislative Election slated to take place on April 17, 2019, a mass organization `We The Youth` held a campaign dubbed “100 Persen Indonesia Nyoblos” (Indonesians will entirely vote 100 percent) to encourage young people to not being an abstainer or also known as golput.

The term golput or golongan putih (white group / neutral group) is used for those who do not spoil a ballot in an election and most of them are young people under 30 years old. They are usually not interested in politics or have no hope for the candidate.

The executive director of We The Youth, Ratu Dyah Ayu Widyaswari, explained the disadvantages of golput. “If the ballot is not used, it has a potential to be misused by others,” said Widy in Jakarta, Wednesday, January 23.

Based on the organization data, 24.89 percent of eligible voters in the 2014 election chose to be golput. As for the upcoming election, the General Election Commission (KPU) recorded eligible voters under 20 years old and 21 to 30 years old reach 60.34 million people, while the total voters amounted to 192 million people. That means 31.4 percent of voters are young people.

“Thus we encourage young people to cast their ballot because the result will decide their future,” Widy underlined.

The campaign was supported by several public figures, including Najwa Shihab, Citra Scholastika, Reza Rahadian, and Surya Sahetapy among others. The organization is planned to hold Democracy Party on April 6, 2019, to publicize the importance of casting a ballot in the election and participation in upholding the democracy.

ASTARI PINASTHIKA SAROSA