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Rejecting choices: Why Indonesia must recognize blank votes
Every vote—whether in favor of a candidate or as a rejection—should carry value and influence.
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None of the above: Voter education volunteer Yoyo Sutarya (right) shows documents in support of a blank box vote at the Ciamis, West Java, office of the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Sept. 4, 2024. Only one candidate pair will run the regional head election in Ciamis in November. (Antara/Adeng Bustomi)
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n the midst of bloated political coalitions and a merit-deficient candidate selection process, voters need new alternatives to voice their preferences. When the available choices in the simultaneous regional elections fail to meet the expectations of the public or are perceived as low-quality, what options do the people have to express their dissatisfaction?
In situations where only a single candidate is running, voters currently have the option to reject that candidate by choosing a blank box. This mechanism allows citizens to defeat the sole candidate, as happened in the 2018 Makassar mayoral election.
The mayoral election saw only the pair Munafri Arifuddin and Andi Rachmatika Dewi eligible for the race after the Supreme Court ruled that incumbent mayor, Mohammad Ramdhan Danny Pomanto and his running mate Indira Mulyasari were ineligible to seek reelection because of abuse of power. The ballot count found that the blank box won 53 percent of the vote.
Such a phenomenon may occur again in the simultaneous regional elections on Nov. 27, as the General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced that uncontested candidates will run for office in 41 regencies and cities.
Even when there are multiple candidates, voters often find themselves stuck with no real choice. In some cases, these candidates are merely puppets placed by political elites to maintain the appearance of a functioning democracy. In such a scenario, choosing between them feels like a lose-lose situation – akin to the phrase "out of the frying pan, into the fire", although some also reluctantly accept the lesser evil.
When people face limited options in regional elections, the greatest threat to democracy is not only low voter turnout but also the presence of uncontested candidates or puppets of the ruling elite. This situation breeds frustration because the available options do not truly reflect the aspirations of the electorate.
In this context, the question arises: Should a blank vote as a form of protest be formally recognized in our democratic system?
