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Over 20 poll workers die of exhaustion, says KPU
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Poll workers count votes at a polling station in Jakarta, on Feb. 14, 2024, after the end of voting for the 2024 general election. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
At least 23 poll workers died during and after the Feb. 14 general election, reportedly of exhaustion, despite efforts by the General Elections Commission (KPU) to prevent a repetition of 2019’s hundreds of election worker deaths.
Some 5 million poll administrators (KPPS) helped operate over 800,000 polling stations nationwide in the single-day presidential and legislative elections last week and are in charge of counting ballots manually at polling stations.
KPU commissioner Idham Kholik told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that his office suspected that “exhaustion from working long hours until the early hours” was behind the deaths.
The elections body will pay Rp 36 million (US$2,300) in compensation to the families of each of the deceased, alongside Rp 10 million for funeral expenses.
Poll administrators are responsible for a series of election-related tasks, including counting the ballots at the polling-station level, a fast-paced endeavor that can take more than a day of continuous work to complete. They receive Rp 1.1 million (US$70) for the month of work, which ends on Feb. 25.
More than 2,800 poll administrators also fell ill on Feb. 14 and 15, according to KPU records, reportedly a result of the heavy workload on and after voting day.
The three provinces with the largest number of registered voters – all located on Java Island – also reported the highest number of poll administrator deaths.
