More than 190 million people were eligible to vote at more than 800,000 polling stations across the country, with about 5 million staffing the stations to count and report the election results. More than 400,000 military personnel and police officers were also involved to safeguard the whole process across the country on April 17.

However, the accomplishment has been overshadowed by dozens of reports about the deaths, presumably caused by exhaustion, of local poll administrators (KPPS) and security personnel who worked day and night prior, during and after voting day. These have prompted election watchdogs to urge the General Elections Commission (KPU) to review the concurrent elections to prevent a similar death toll in future elections.

According to the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), at least 56 local poll officials had died during or after performing their duties at polling stations. Once appointed, poll administrators could not be replaced by other individuals.

One of them was Zulkifli Salamuddin, 45, who died on Friday after finishing counting votes in Medan, North Sumatra. The count went longer than initially scheduled because of a dispute during the process.

“He left home on Wednesday morning in a very healthy condition, but became ill upon returning from the polling station. I still can’t imagine this,” Zulkifli’s wife Sri Erwina said.

In Central Java, at least two administrators died during and after working at polling stations in Sukoharjo and Karanganyar. Fellow officers in Sukoharjo said the late officer, Yuli Anisah, 44, refused to leave her post
during the vote count, although she had complained of feeling weak because of sleep deprivation.

Apart from poll administrators, at least 10 police officers died on duty while safeguarding the election. In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Brig. Gen. Syaiful Zachri was rushed to hospital when he complained of pain in his chest after patroling the city. Doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, another police officer died after he was in a traffic accident while on his way home from guarding a polling station in Kupang regency.

The chief of a polling station in Malang, East Java, identified as 42-year-old Subali, attempted suicide by stabbing himself with a knife on Saturday.

“According to his wife, the victim allegedly felt guilty for a vote count error at the polling station he manned. He thought there were miscalculations in counting votes for the Regional Legislative Council for East Java and the Malang Regional Legislative Council,” Kedungkalang Police chief Comr. Suko Wahyudi said on Saturday.

He added that the victim, who works as an official at a state university in the city and also serves as the head of a neighborhood unit, had been treated in a hospital.

In West Java, at least 12 people died after working as poll administrators on April 17. The provincial KPU chairman, Rifqi Ali Mubarok, offered his condolences to the families of the deceased officials. “We are also working to provide compensation for their families.”

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil also offered condolences, calling the deceased officials “heroes of democracy”. “The West Java administration will provide compensation to their families,” the governor wrote on his official Twitter account.

Titi Anggraini of Perludem said the cases of death of the poll officials and security personnel revealed a miscalculation between the predicted workload and actual human capacity.

“Their workload wasn’t proportional to their capabilities and endurance to be able to work effectively and professionally,” Titi said.

She urged the KPU to review the election system while providing measures to reduce the workload of polling station officials, such as by introducing an electronic vote counting system.

“Moreover, the KPU should also provide more incentives for polling officials, including health and life insurance.”

No KPU commissioners were available for comment on Sunday.

Meanwhile, about 30,000 polling officials in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, claimed on Saturday that they had yet to receive payment for their work on voting day.

“This didn’t happen in other regions in Yogyakarta,” said Ngadirin, the head of a polling station in Sleman.

Sleman KPU chairman Trapsi Haryadi did not respond to The Jakarta Post’s request for comment.

— Ganug Nugroho Adi from Surakarta, Djemi Amnifu from Kupang and Bambang Muryanto from Yogyakarta contributed to the story.

Popular

To my horror, it’s just a movie!

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Pentagon chief congratulates Prabowo on being elected President