The Bali General Elections Commission (KPUD) announced Thursday the province could see a decline in the number of voters for the July 8 presidential election, compared to the number registered for the April 9 legislative polls.
The prediction was based on the interim voter lists (DPS) drawn up by the provincial KPUD in cooperation with all KPUDs at regency and municipality level.
According to the lists for eight of Bali's nine regions, the number of voters decreased by 12.4 percent (304,870 voters), from 2,462,769 down to 2,159,899 voters.
The eight regions are Denpasar, Badung, Karangasem, Klungkung, Buleleng, Gianyar, Tabanan and Bangli.
Jembrana regency has yet to submit its lists due to an error in its computer system.
During the legislative elections, there were 2,667,065 registered voters in the province.
E.R.S. Kurniawan, the Gianyar KPUD officer in charge for updating the permanent voter lists (DPT), said voters withdrawing had been the main cause of the drop.
"Many voters reported they are moving out of the regency," he said.
"So their vote also goes with them to their new domicile."
He added the deletion of voters' names over concerns of possible dual registration at separate polling stations (TPS) had also contributed to the decline.
"We have disqualified a voter at two TPS."
As result of the reduced number of voters and the merging TPS, the eight regencies in Bali will only have 4,764 TPS from the previous 7,600.
Bali KPUD chief Ketut Sukawati Lanang Perbawa said each TPS would handle a maximum of 800 voters during the presidential election - an increase from the 500 voters in the legislative polls.
"The new policy on voter quota per TPS was taken because of the simpler mechanism employed in the presidential election," he said.
"In the presidential election, voters have far fewer candidates to pick from, and there are no electoral districts.
"So it won't be as complex as voting in the legislative elections."
The deadline to finish compiling the voter lists is May 24.
"So potential voters who haven't yet been registered in the interim list will have enough time to register themselves at the village office or KPUD in regencies and municipalities," Lanang said.
The registration process has been simplified and the KPUD will accept different kinds of identity document, including seasonal ID cards (KIPEM), despite existing regulations that require voters to register with Bali-issued ID card (KTP) or family cards (KK).
