Polling committee members for 66 polling stations in Padasuka sub-district, Cimahi, recheck voting day logistics at the local election commission office in Cimahi, West Java, on Thursday (9/2). Preparing all the necessary logistics is important to ensure that the polling stations have everything necessary for voting day. After checks, all the logistics are placed into the ballot boxes and distributed to polling stations.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Poll organizers who doubt voters’ document validity are permitted to closely check documents before allowing voters to cast their ballot. Document verification can be performed at local population and civil registry offices.
The checks will mainly take place on unknown voters who try to vote with suspicious identity cards.
This was because, according to Home Ministry Director General for population and Civil Registry Zudan Arif Fakrulloh on Thursday (9/2) in Jakarta, officials at polling stations – poll organizers, witnesses and poll observers – recognized almost all local residents.
Using this method, the possible use of fake electronic IDs and notification letters to vote issued by population and civil registry offices could be prevented.
Previously, during a regular check at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport customs office, suspicious import activity was uncovered. The items being imported were 36 ID cards, 32 Taxpayer Registration Cards (NPWP), a bank deposit book and one ATM card.
The items had been sent from Cambodia via courier, entering Indonesia on Feb. 3. “From our investigation into the IDs, NPWP, deposit book and ATM card, the delivery may be linked to cybercrimes, banking crimes or money laundering. We need to investigate further to make sure,” said Customs Director General Heru Pambudi yesterday.
The customs office, Heru said, along with some other institutions such as the tax office, National Police and Home Ministry, were working to uncover the motif for the delivery.
House Commission II member Achmad Baidowi said the import of IDs was suspicious as it had occurred ahead of the regional elections. “Thus, it must be investigated thoroughly to uncover the motive,” said the United Development Party politician.
Not close
Zudan said the population and civil registry offices (Disdukcapil) in the 101 regions holding local elections on Feb. 15 would stay open. Therefore, any poll organizers who doubted the validity of documents presented by voters could immediately check them at the offices.
The checks could be performed by taking the dubious documents to the nearest office. Alternatively, poll organizers could photograph the dubious documents and send them via the WhatsApp account of the relevant office.
“Checking the population number [NIK] on the documents via the population administration information system [SIAK] will only take two minutes,” Zudan said.
In anticipation of the possible use of fake documents, General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah suggested the local KPU continue to coordinate with the local Disdukcapil. "Information regarding the notification letters issued by the Disdukcapil will be sent to all polling stations,” he said.
Blank boxes
Six days ahead of voting day, the campaign to vote for blank boxes has been growing in several regions with sole candidates, such as Buton regency in Southeast Sulawesi and Pati regency in Central Java.
KPU Buton chair Alimuddin Sikuru said the vote-for-blank-boxes campaign in his region was being carried out by individuals and groups distributing pamphlets in public places. The Buton election has only one candidate pair, Samsu Umar Abdul Samiun-La Bakry, the incumbents. However, Samsu had been detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission after being named a suspect in the bribery of former Constitutional Court chief judge Akil Mochtar in relation to the Buton election dispute back in 2012.
In Pati, the Alliance to Safeguard Pati Election Democracy chair, Sutiyo, said of 22 districts in Pati, his organization had promoted the blank box issue in 16 districts.
In the upcoming election, Pati has only one candidate pair, Haryanto-Saiful Arifin, backed by nine political parties in the legislative council. The coalition controls 46 of 50 legislative seats in the regency.
KPU Pati commissioner Imbang Setiawan said it would be equally valid to vote for either the candidate or the blank box. If the blank box won, the election would be repeated in the next polling period.
Meanwhile, Central Java Election Supervisory Agency institutional relations and prevention coordinator Teguh Purnomo said for Central Java province, Pati was an example of a fraud-prone area, along with Brebes, Cilacap and Jepara.
Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) executive director Titi Anggraini called on poll organizers and security personnel to pay extra attention to elections in areas such as Aceh, Papua and West Papua. Based on Perludem observation, there had been violence and intimidation in some areas of Aceh related to the local elections. There were 26 case of violence in Aceh and one in Papua. “As voting day draws near, violence is on the rise. The National Police must step up security in those regions,” Titi noted.
