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Apathetic millennials encouraged to vote on Wednesday
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Students from Cikal Amri Cipayung High School cast ballots during a simulated election at the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Jan. 19. (Antara/Reno Esnir) (Antara/Reno Esnir)
With regional elections just around the corner, apathy still lingers in younger voters.
Rock the Vote Indonesia, a movement promoted by the University of Indonesia’s politics lab, has found that the high number of politicians charged with corruption has played a role in tarnishing the image of politics among the young generation, sometimes referred to as millennials.
Irmana, research manager for Rock the Vote Indonesia, said his institution, since 2013, had been actively working to raise political awareness among people aged between 18 and 29 years. He said his group often tried to explain to millennials that politics could serve as a medium to deliver welfare to society.
“They regard politics as a nefarious activity, where cheaters and bad people proliferate. We need to change that view,” Irmana told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
(Read Also: Young voters in Jakarta hope for better programs)
In December 2016, as a part of its campaign, Rock the Vote Indonesia visited four cities – Jakarta, Aceh, Kulon Progo in Yogyakarta and Gorontalo – to encourage young people to vote.
“We’re seeing positive trends. After a number of discussions, we see that many young people now have a softer view of politics,” Irmana said.
Of the 7 million registered voters in Jakarta, around 28.9 percent of them are aged between 16 and 30. (trw)
