The Deputy Minister Of Home Affairs Said 1.5 Million Beginner Voters Have Not Recorded The E-KTP Ahead Of The Pilkada

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya (left) accompanied by Acting Governor of NTB Hassanudin (right) handed over ID cards to students while visiting SMA 1 Mataram, Tuesday (5/11/2024). (ANTARA/Nur Imansyah).

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri), Bima Arya revealed that as many as 1.5 million novice voters in Indonesia have not recorded e-KTP tau e-KTP electronic IDs ahead of the 2024 Pilkada.

"Especially for novice voters, based on data, there are 1.5 million that have not been recorded," he said on the sidelines of visiting SMA 1 Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Tuesday.

He said he had instructed the Population and Civil Registration Offices throughout Indonesia to pay special attention to recording to residents of novice voters aged 17 years, disabilities, marginalized groups, and vulnerable groups.

"This is less than a month away. So I encourage and directed by the Minister also for Dukcapil's friends to coordinate, collaborate with regional friends to pick up the ball directly to check the data anywhere because one vote is important not only as their right but also in the dimensions of strengthening political legitimacy and political education," explained Bima Arya.

Especially for novice voters, Bima Arya stated that before the day of the collection on November 27, 2024, as long as he was 17 years old, he could come to the Voting Station (TPS) to vote.

"As long as before November 27, you can. The most important thing is to record it first," he said.

Therefore, not only Dukcapil, but his party also encourages the Education Office and schools to socialize to novice voters or students to be able to speed up recording of the ID card.

In NTB Province alone, there are still around 43,000 novice voters who have not recorded their electronic ID cards. Head of the NTB's Department of Community Empowerment, Village Government, Population and Civil Registration (DPMPD Dukcapil), Ahmad Nur Aulia, stated that his party together with district/city Dukcapil have tried to pick up the ball to schools and madrasas.

"Our challenge in the field is that some 17-year-old high school/vocational school students are reluctant to record e-KTP, so synergy with the Education Office and the school is important so that those who have the right to vote in the 2024 Pilkada can be recorded," he said.

The number of novice voters in NTB reached 136,614 people, with 67.64 percent or 92,399 people having recorded e-KTP. Meanwhile, 44,212 people or 32.36 percent of novice voters in NTB have not been recorded.