Young people are asked to cast their votes and are strictly prohibited from engaging in abstentions (white groups) in the upcoming 2024 elections. When there are many who abstain, they will suffer a great loss because it hinders the progress of the nation. Elections are an important program to find the best figures to become president for Indonesia to progress, therefore young people are encouraged to vote on election day.
The election will be held on February 14, 2024. The people are waiting enthusiastically because they are curious about who will replace President Jokowi. They were also happy because they were given the opportunity to choose their own president, and in the reform era democracy was truly upheld in Indonesia.
Ahead of the election, preparations continue to be made, including positive campaigns and calls for voting. The reason is because according to KPU (General Election Commission) data, the number of young voters is 54%. They are prone to abstaining from voting because they are skeptical about the situation in this country.
KPU member Agus Melaz stated that young voters are prohibited from abstaining from voting. In a sense, more than half of Indonesian citizens who are entitled to vote are youths. They are strictly prohibited from abstaining because this act hinders the progress of the nation. There are many bad effects of abstentions. First, if youths abstain, there will be many empty ballots.
If there are many empty ballots, it will be detrimental because there is the potential for misuse by unscrupulous persons. The ballot could have been pierced with a nail or crossed out with a ballpoint pen, then fraud occurred. The party that was elected was not 100% of the people’s choice, but was the fruit of the crimes of the elements on duty at the TPS.
Therefore, young people must be aware of the consequences of abstentions. Never abstain from voting because Indonesia needs an honest voice. When abstaining has the potential to increase fraud, and the future of the nation will be hindered, because those who are elected as leaders and representatives of the people are individuals who are less competent.
Young people usually decide to abstain from voting for reasons of skepticism about the condition of the country, being sarcastic at the government, emotional towards officials, and so on. Precisely with abstentions they will fail to change the situation. They should vote and choose the best person to be president, who can make progress for Indonesia. Do not be skeptical because pessimism will make them experience setbacks.
Agus Melaz continued, the presence of young people during the election was very important to help the KPU to dispel hoaxes, disinformation and hate speech because it was more technology friendly. With the skills of the youth, they can make anti-hoax and propaganda campaigns. As a result, more and more citizens understand what the dangers of hoaxes are and their characteristics, thus reducing the negative effects of hoaxes during elections.
Young people can help people who are still unfamiliar with technology to report hoax content and hate speech. They provide tutorials on how to report to cyber police or social media managers. As a result, hoax content will be removed by social media managers and the creators and spreaders will be pursued by security forces.
Meanwhile, the Regent of Blora, Arief Rohman, continues to actively socialize and provide political education to first-time voters. He advised students who already have the right to vote in the 2024 simultaneous elections and local elections, to become smart first-time voters and not just join in.
Regent Arief continued, it is the first-time voters who determine the direction of this nation in the future. Therefore they are prohibited from abstaining. If you do not participate in politics, then you will not give color to the development of this nation.
Later the selected candidates will contribute to determining how this nation will be through the policies that have been prepared. Both in accordance with the realm, executive and legislative.
For example, the DPRD also determines policies and directions for the future development of Blora. As with infrastructure development and others that continue to be carried out. For this reason, young people must be smart in making their choices and are prohibited from abstaining from voting.
Abstentions will result in ballot abuse and there could be mistakes in the presidential election. If the president should be candidate A, then the one elected will be candidate B. Indonesia’s future can change, not stagnate, but it may not be better than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Therefore, young people are strictly prohibited from abstaining for any reason. Abstentions are not cool at all because they are detrimental to Indonesia’s future. Then, if many abstain, the government will also lose because the election budget of 76 trillion rupiah will be wasted, because the results are not as expected. Young people are forbidden to abstain because the future of Indonesia is at stake. They are obliged to vote so that later the best figure will be elected as president, and have a good vision and mission for the progress of the nation. Abstentions will be detrimental because they have the potential to create fraud during elections.
