When Empty Boxes Become a Symbol of Public Dissatisfaction

The people's choice fell on the empty box in the 2024 Pangkalpinang and Bangka Regional Election. This is not just a technical victory, but a strong protest against democracy that has lost its meaning. The message is clear: the people refuse to be forced to vote in a system that does not provide alternatives.

This incident has once again made history. For the second time, the empty box won a landslide victory against a single candidate. Based on real count data, the empty box won 57.3 percent of the vote in Pangkalpinang and 54.1 percent in Bangka. Previously, the 2018 Makassar Pilwakot also witnessed the victory of the empty box with 53.23 percent of the vote. This is no coincidence. The people chose to reject, not because they were satisfied, but because they were disappointed.

Political observer from Al-Azhar University Indonesia, Andriadi Achmad, as reported in VOI, assessed that the victory of the empty box reflected the failure of political parties. The parties were unable to provide candidates who represented the public's aspirations. Forced democracy like this only harms the people.

Agus Setiawan, an empty box volunteer in Pangkalpinang, confirmed this statement. According to him, the victory of the empty box is "a message from the people who do not want to be forced to accept candidates without choice." This statement underlines the importance of real competition in democracy, not just procedural formalities.

The Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) has scheduled a repeat of the regional elections for Pangkalpinang and Bangka no later than September 2025. However, is this enough? If the regional election mechanism is not changed to involve the community more actively, the same protests may be repeated. The people do not want to be mere spectators in democracy.

The victory of the empty box is not only a criticism of the single candidate, but also a hard slap to the political elite. Democracy should not only be a stage for formality. It must provide a real space for the people to voice their aspirations. The writing of Dewi Anggraini, Head of the Undergraduate Program in Political Science at Andalas University at unand.ac.id, said that the victory of the empty box is a reflection of immature democracy. However, this is also a transition phase towards a more substantial democracy. The public is increasingly critical. This message cannot be ignored.

When the people are given a choice without alternatives, they create a way to reject it elegantly through the ballot box. This phenomenon confirms that forced democracy or mere formality is no longer enough. The empty box is a symbol of resistance to a system that ignores the aspirations of the people. The political elite must immediately improve.

What should be done? First, political parties must be serious about nominating competent cadres who have integrity. Second, the candidate selection process must be transparent and involve the community. Third, the KPU must guarantee the implementation of the Pilkada that is open and free from anyone's influence. It does seem normative, but if this step is not taken, the empty box will continue to be a frightening choice for single candidates.

Democracy must be a space where the voice of the people, no matter how small, is heard and valued. The empty box is a symbol that the people are no longer willing to compromise with a system that marginalizes their aspirations.