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Perludem, Google launch new website to inform Indonesian voters
The platform, which means “smart voting” in English, is sponsored by Google Indonesia.
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An officer with the General Elections Commission (KPU) displays five different ballots at the KPU building in Central Jakarta recently. Voters will cast their votes on up to five ballots for the presidential election and the election of lawmakers and councilors at the provincial, city and regency level on April 17. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
E
lection watchdog the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) launched on Tuesday its new web-based platform pintarmemilih.id that will allow the public, particularly young voters, to find comprehensive information regarding the 2019 simultaneous presidential and legislative elections.
The platform, which means “smart voting” in English, is sponsored by Google Indonesia. The project has also received support from the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), anti-hoax platform Cek Fakta, news portal rumahpemilu.org, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and YouTube channel Kok Bisa?.
Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation and third largest democracy. It is also among the countries with the highest number of internet users, of which the majority are young people.
The director of Perludem, Titi Anggraini, said pintarmemilih.id was expected to help first time voters find election-related information, including profiles of candidates, their political parties and presidential debate and election schedules.
“The quality of elections will increase if voters are well-informed about the larger context of the elections,” she said during the portal’s launch in Central Jakarta.
Titi said the platform also allowed users to report hate speech and disinformation they found online or in the public sphere. Moreover, it features a Q&A, where people can ask about the stages of the 2019 election process, with the inquiries responded to by a team with credible and verified information. YouTube's Kok Bisa? will help answer the users’ frequently asked questions in an animated video.
“We are happy to help the platform as our subscribers are mostly young people,” Ketut Yoga Yudistira, co-founder of Kok Bisa? told The Jakarta Post. He added that his YouTube channel had been viewed more than 120 million times.
The platform, Titi added, would also help the KPU and Bawaslu hold and supervise the elections more effectively and efficiently.
KPU chairman Arief Budiman welcomed the platform, saying that it was an alternative way to help ensure a transparent election process.
“The platform provides an alternative source of information on the elections and vote counts if the KPU's website goes down or is hacked,” he said.
Bawaslu commissioner Fritz Edward Siregar said the platform would help increase the number of youth participating in monitoring the issues around the elections.
“Particular issues, such as hate speech and disinformation, must be reported. Democratic elections can only be staged properly if the youth provide good input,” he said.
It is estimated that 14 million young people will vote in the 2019 elections, meaning it is crucial for legislative and presidential candidates to win the hearts of young voters, some of whom are disenchanted with the country’s political establishment.
Government relations senior analyst at Google Indonesia Ryan Rahardjo expressed hope that the platform would increase voters’ knowledge regarding the elections and help introduce the candidates.
“We expect the platform will increase public participation, particularly among new voters. They should not be apathetic about the elections,” Ryan said. (das)
