KPU Reveals Consequence of Uncontested Elections

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Commissioner of General Elections Commission (KPU), Idham Holik, revealed that single candidates will be declared winners of regional elections if they gain over 50 percent votes against “empty boxes.” According to KPU, failure to reach the required votes will result in the region being led by an Acting regional head until the next election period. 

"If the single candidate pair fails to meet the required 50 percent of valid votes, which cannot exceed the provisions under Article 54 D of Law Number 10 of 2016, the election will run in the next period,” Idham said on Friday, August 30, 2024. “The next election period is 2029.” 

Reported from Setkab.go.id, referring to Article 54D paragraph 1 of Regional Head Election Law, the Ministry of Home Affairs explained that the Provincial and Regency/City KPU can declare single candidates as winners against “empty boxes” if they gain over 50 percent votes. 

"If the vote acquired by the sole candidate was less than required in paragraph (1), the losing candidate may run again in the next regional elections,” Article 54D paragraph 2 of the Regional Election Law stipulated.

KPU stated that an uncontested election could potentially run in 43 regions in Indonesia. These regions comprise one province in West Papua, five cities, and 37 regencies.

For this reason, KPU in these regions held another period of election dissemination from August 30 to September 1, 2024, to attract public interest to run in the regional head election.  KPU also extended the registration period from September 2 to 4, 2024.

Idham said KPU continues facilitating voters' rights to vote for the “empty boxes.” KPU, Idham said, has designed special ballots for sole candidates in the regional election.

"For single candidates, the first design will place the single candidate first next to an empty ballot, and the other will place the ballot without the candidate pair’s photo first next to the single candidate’s," said Idham.

Idham said KPU will still assign serial numbers for uncontested elections. “KPU will draw whether the single candidate gets number 1, number 2, or vice versa," he explained.

Idham Holik said the term “empty boxes” does not exist in the Regional Head Election Law, although it’s widely used. The KPU Commissioner considered the term to have emerged from the practice of village head elections, where voters could opt for the “empty box” by forgoing the vote for a single candidate. 

MYESHA FATINA RACHMAN | SAPTO YUNUS

Editor's Choice: Ridwan Kamil Hopes to Avoid Facing an Empty Box in the 2024 Jakarta Election    

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News