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KPU to prioritize younger, healthier poll workers for regional elections
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Decision day: People wait to cast their ballots for the 2024 presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 14, 2024, at a polling station in Banda Aceh, Aceh. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin )
T
he General Elections Commission (KPU) opened on Tuesday the application for local poll administrators (KPPS) for the November regional head elections, prioritizing participants under 55 years of age without underlying health conditions to avoid fatalities and “work accidents”.
“We hope to recruit administrators who are physically and mentally healthy,” said Parsadaan Harahap, KPU coordinator for human resources, organization, education, training and research development, on Tuesday.
Some 6,000 KPPS fell ill and nearly 900 died in the country's first simultaneous general elections in 2019 because of extreme exhaustion. Reports showed that they had to work between 36 and 48 hours straight to set up poll stations, manually count ballots and fill out paperwork.
Meanwhile, after the general election in February this year, at least 108 poll workers died and more than 14,300 others fell ill, according to data from the Health Ministry.
To further curb fatalities and hospitalizations, Parsadaan said that the KPU will require all KPPS applicants to undergo medical checkups to determine their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. They must also declare their health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension.
Parsadaan stated that although the KPU could not provide work-related insurance for poll workers, the agency will provide financial compensation to those who fall ill, have accidents or pass away during the upcoming elections.
He further announced the lower incentives the KPPS would receive in the upcoming elections. Instead of getting paid between Rp 1.1 million (US$71.66) and Rp 1.2 million like during the February elections, poll workers will receive between Rp 850,000 and Rp 900,000.
