Press Release
“Consequences of Re-Voting: A Budgetary Burden and a Poor Mirror of Organizer Performance”
Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem)
Jakarta, March 5, 2025 – The Constitutional Court (MK) in the 2025 Regional Head Election Results Dispute (PHP-Kada) verdict has ordered the implementation of Re-Voting (PSU) in 24 regions. Of these, 14 regions must repeat voting in all polling stations (TPS). This is the highest record in post-reform Pilkada history, showing the increasing number of problems in organizing elections at the regional level.
The number of PSUs, which increased sharply compared to the previous elections, confirms that there are fundamental problems in election management, ranging from administrative negligence to structured, systematic and massive (TSM) fraud. MK found various forms of violations that led to the PSU decision, including the intervention of regional officials, the use of state facilities for the benefit of certain candidates, as well as weak supervision and decisive action from election organizers.
One prominent case was in Mahakam Ulu Regency, where the Constitutional Court found that the Regent actively used regional funds to win a particular candidate pair. Similarly, in Serang Regency, the Constitutional Court considered that there had been an abuse of authority by a Minister who supported his wife in the Pilkada contest. Similar violations also occurred in various other regions, so the Constitutional Court had no choice but to order PSU as a form of correction to the process that had taken place.
Not only PSUs, the Constitutional Court also imposed disqualification sanctions on candidate pairs in 11 regions, including Pasaman Regency, South Bengkulu, and North Gorontalo. These disqualifications mostly occurred due to serious administrative violations, such as the use of social assistance programs for electoral purposes and the use of state facilities that should be neutral.
The consequences of these PSUs are not only political, but also have a major impact on the state budget. The implementation of PSU requires significant additional funds, including the reprinting of ballots, logistics distribution, operational costs for election officials, and stricter supervision to prevent repeated violations. This is a waste that should not have happened if from the beginning the election organizers worked more professionally and responsibly.
Ironically, the financial burden of this PSU is mostly borne by the state, while negligent election organizers do not bear the appropriate consequences. The public, as voters, are also victims because they have to return to the polling stations and face political uncertainty due to negligence that could have been prevented. Public trust in the independence and credibility of election organizers has also declined.
Given the huge impact caused by the PSU, it is time for election organizers, both at the central and regional levels, to take responsibility for their negligence. A thorough evaluation of the performance of the KPU and Bawaslu needs to be carried out, including the possibility of replacing organizers in regions that are proven to have failed to carry out their duties properly. If there are no consequences for negligent organizers, then similar problems will continue to recur in subsequent elections.
Furthermore, the government and DPR need to immediately design stricter regulations to prevent organizers’ negligence. For example, by establishing strict sanctions for KPU and Bawaslu who are proven to be responsible for administrative errors that lead to PSUs. These sanctions can be in the form of cutting the operational budget or removing relevant officials. Thus, there is an incentive for organizers to work more professionally.
In addition, supervision of election administrators must also be strengthened by involving civil society and independent institutions. Reporting and investigation mechanisms for alleged violations need to be more transparent and responsive. If there are indications of fraud or negligence, corrective action must be taken immediately before polling day to avoid PSUs that waste the budget and disrupt regional political stability.
Political education for election organizers and participants must also be strengthened. Many PSU cases occur due to a weak understanding of electoral rules or a low commitment to the principles of fair and honest democracy. With intensive training and stricter sanctions, it is hoped that the quality of election administration can improve in the future.
Seeing the increasing trend of PSUs and disqualifications in the 2024 elections, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that the electoral system in Indonesia still has many loopholes that can be exploited for certain interests. If there is no serious improvement in electoral governance, then our democracy will continue to be under threat. Therefore, we demand the following steps to ensure better elections in the future:
Attitude Points:
1. Replacement and Evaluation of Organizers
KPU and Bawaslu in regions that are proven to be negligent must be evaluated and if necessary replaced to ensure that the next election is more professional and has integrity.
2. Budget cuts for negligent organizers
KPU and Bawaslu who are responsible for negligence in organizing the elections should receive sanctions in the form of operational budget cuts in the next period.
3. Firm Regulations and Sanctions for Organizer Negligence
The government and DPR must immediately draft regulations that ensure there are consequences for organizers who fail to perform their duties properly.
4. Strengthening Independent Supervision
There must be a stronger monitoring mechanism for the work of the KPU and Bawaslu, including the involvement of civil society in overseeing the elections.
The sharply increasing trend of PSUs should be a concern and a strong warning to all parties that there are serious problems in election governance in Indonesia. Without concrete corrective measures, it is not impossible that the next elections will experience more severe problems, further burden the state budget, and undermine public confidence in democracy.
Contact person:
Heroik M Pratama (+62 87839377707)
Iqbal Kholidin (+62 85155240004)
Haykal (+62 85359096586)