Bawaslu Calls for In-depth Study Regarding E-voting Implementation for 2029 Election

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

Bawaslu member Lolly Suhenty, speaking after the ‘Bawaslu Leadership Reflection’ event in Pangandaran, West Java, on Thursday (3/9), stated that a complete and thorough study is necessary before such a system is widely implemented. She suggested that if e-voting is introduced, it should be done gradually rather than all at once, considering Indonesia’s complex geography.

Furthermore, she noted that the study must be based on robust academic papers to determine the system’s effectiveness. “Our goal is that if technology is involved in our elections, it must make things easier, not more difficult. We must ensure that does not happen. Therefore, the study must be completed first. In this context, Bawaslu is currently preparing its study on these issues,” she said.

Previously, the General Elections Commission (KPU) Commissioner, Betty Epsilon Idroos, stated that they have prepared an e-voting machine prototype developed by the KPU’s Data and Information Technology Centre (Pusdatin). The KPU has also been studying e-voting implementations in various countries, such as Estonia, Brazil, and the Philippines.

However, she noted that significant challenges remain in implementing e-voting, ranging from transparency issues that could affect public trust and the risk of cyberattacks, to the uneven distribution of internet access across Indonesia.