More than 190 million Indonesians will go to some 800,000 polling stations between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. to choose between two presidential tickets and hundreds of candidates for the House of Representatives, the Regional Representative Council (DPD) and the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).

For President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto, who are competing for the presidency, this will be the culmination of seven months of campaigning and years of preparations as both candidates were named presumptive nominees as early as 2017.

The election will be a rematch of the 2014 presidential race, which Jokowi won with 53.2 percent of the vote.

This time, Jokowi is running with Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Ma’ruf Amin, while Prabowo has former deputy Jakarta governor Sandiaga Uno at his side.

The President seemed relaxed prior to election day, telling reporters on Tuesday that he would be resting after voting in Gambir, Central Jakarta.

“After voting, I will just go to sleep,” he said, laughing. “I’ll be tired; I want to rest.”

Prabowo, meanwhile, spent Tuesday evening at a prayer event with campaign team officials and religious figures at his residence in Kertanegara, South Jakarta. The former Army general is planning to vote in Bogor, West Java, near his estate in the Hambalang area.

Politicians, political parties and government institutions have all made last-minute calls for voters to cast their ballots and for election organizers to ensure free and fair elections.

“History has given us — the people of Indonesia, masters of our own country and holders of sovereignty — a chance to freely and anonymously exercise our right to vote,” Democratic Party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a video message on Tuesday. “Because of that, let us vote. Brothers and sisters, do not abstain.”

Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign team official Saleh Partaonan Daulay also encouraged voters to go to the polls on Wednesday, further telling them that they should not afraid of being intimidated by certain parties.

“We’re in a democratic country, where people are free to decide who to vote for based on their own rational consideration,” he said, adding that voters across the nation should use their voting rights to elect better leaders.

“We hope all Indonesians will play their part in determining Indonesia’s future for the next five years.”

In an instruction letter dated Monday, Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin campaign team chairman Erick Thohir urged regional campaign team members, volunteers and supporters to vote on Wednesday.

“Bring the people together to use their constitutional right to vote carefully and correctly and avoid abstaining,” he said.

He also advised voters to arrive at polling stations before the polls open at 7 a.m. to avoid lines.

Meanwhile, Ma’ruf urged voters to accept the election results with an open mind.

“The presidential election is not a war but a search for the best leader,” he said. “If it is found that violations occurred, we should not respond in a way that also violates the law. Everything has a mechanism. Do not use radical methods and run amok. We should respond [to the results] maturely.”

Regional community groups have also pitched in to boost voter turnout, which is expected to be 77.5 percent.

The North Sumatra Islamic Student Association coordination board, for example, will be helping hundreds of students in Medan reach their hometowns to vote.

“We hope that by providing a free bus, we can help reduce golput [abstainers] among students,” said association chairman Alwi Hasbi Silalahi.

Even social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have joined in the action, with Facebook providing information on legislative candidates based on their location and Instagram creating special election stickers for Instagram Stories.

Amid the general enthusiasm, however, logistical issues saw the General Elections Commission (KPU) deliver election materials to polling stations less than 24 hours before polls are scheduled to open.

KPU commissioner Ilham Saputra said most polling stations across the country had received the necessary materials. Those which have yet to get their ballots are additional polling stations that were created based on a recent Constitutional Court (MK) ruling that added names to the final voter list (DPT).

But he assured that every region would receive the ballots on time.

“There are several places in East and Central Kalimantan that we are trying to reach today [Tuesday],” he told The Jakarta Post.

According to Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) secretary-general Kaka Suminta, several regions have reported damaged ballot boxes, broken seals and a shortage of holograms for the vote tally (C1) forms.

“We are still receiving reports of problems in West Java, East Java and South Sumatra,” Kaka told the Post.

Ilham explained that the KPU had issued a circular instructing all regional KPU or local poll administrators (KPPS) to legitimize C1 forms that do not have holograms with official KPU stamps or the signature of election witnesses or KPPS.

KPU chairman Arief Budiman said the commission was still delivering campaign materials, which he expected to arrive on time.

- Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Riza Roidila Mufti in Jakarta, Markus Makur in Flores, and Apriadi Gunawan in Medan contributed to this story.

Popular

Kadin urges stability after Constitutional Court ruling

Jokowi says transition to new government to begi

BCA loan disbursement surges 17.1 percent yoy in first quarter