Bawaslu assesses that e-voting implementation requires deeper study

Pangandaran (ANTARA) - The Indonesian General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) believes that the implementation of digital voting systems, or e-voting, for the 2029 general election requires more in-depth study.

Bawaslu member Lolly Suhenty, speaking after the “Bawaslu Leadership Reflection Ahead of 5 Years” event in Pangandaran, West Java, on Thursday, stated that a complete and thorough assessment of e-voting is necessary before the system is widely implemented.

“E-voting is something that must be prepared thoroughly; in this context, there must be a complete study. For instance, if it is implemented, the discussion should consider a gradual rollout rather than all at once, considering Indonesia’s geography,” she said.

Furthermore, she noted that the study must be conducted using strong academic papers to determine whether the system is optimal or not.

“Because our goal in involving technology in elections is to make things easier, not more difficult. We must ensure that does not happen. Therefore, the study must be finalised first. In this context, Bawaslu is currently preparing our study on these issues,” she added.

Previously, the General Elections Commission (KPU) Commissioner, Betty Epsilon Idroos, stated that they have prepared a prototype e-voting machine developed by the KPU’s Data and Information Technology Centre (Pusdatin).

Additionally, the KPU has been studying the implementation of e-voting in various countries, such as Estonia, Brazil, and the Philippines.

Nevertheless, she mentioned that there are still challenges in implementing e-voting, ranging from transparency issues that could affect public trust and the risk of cyberattacks, to the uneven internet access across Indonesia.