Kulon Progo Student Elections Serve as Democracy School for First-Time Voters
The Kulon Prolo Regency Government, Special Region of Yogyakarta, has once again organised the 2026 Simultaneous Student Council Election (Pemilos) using electronic voting as a means of political education for first-time voters.
The Head of the National Unity and Politics Agency of Kulon Progo, Pratiwi Ngasaratun, stated in Kulon Progo on Thursday that Pemilos serves as a platform for political education and direct democratic practice for students. This aims to instil Pancasila democratic values, provide learning regarding general election stages, and serve as a political education medium for prospective first-time voters.
She noted that the 2026 e-voting based Pemilos is participated in by 90 schools, ranging from junior high to senior high school levels, with a total of 29,493 students holding voting rights. This figure represents an increase from the 2025 implementation, which involved 81 schools and 25,956 students. The voting was conducted simultaneously from 08:00 to 13:00 WIB at the participating schools.
The Pemilos is organised by the National Unity and Politics Agency of Kulon Progo as a cross-sector coordinator, involving the Kulon Progo Regency KPU, Bawaslu, the Department of Communication and Informatics, the Department of Education, Youth and Sports, the Middle School Education Office, and the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
“Therefore, those who are serving as committee members or voters today will, God willing, certainly become first-time voters in 2029,” said Pratiwi during the opening of the simultaneous Pemilos at SMA Negeri 2 Wates, Kulon Progo.
The 90 participating schools this year consist of 45 junior high schools, 23 senior high/vocational schools, and 22 Islamic junior/senior high schools. The implementation of Pemilos is designed to mimic the stages of a general election. Eligible students must first register before being called to the voting booth.
In the voting booth, voters use provided computers to access the electronic voting application and select their student council presidential candidates. After casting their vote, voters are directed to an ink-dipping station as proof of having exercised their right to vote.
For schools experiencing technical difficulties during the process, the committee has provided a follow-up voting session on 12 October 2026. For this year’s implementation, the committee has increased the number of supervisors in every school to strengthen the integrity and transparency of the voting process.
“The election results will be determined by the Organisation Election Committee (PPO) and proposed for the school principal’s decree. The peak will be the simultaneous inauguration of all elected Student Council Chairpersons on 28 October 2026, coinciding with Youth Pledge Day,” she added.
The Regent of Kulon Progo, Agung Setyawan, assessed that Pemilos is an important platform for students to learn how to make choices, express opinions, respect differences, and carry out responsibilities. The Regent also reminded student council candidates not to use popularity as the primary measure for gaining support.
“For Student Council Chair candidates, leadership is not about popularity or the amount of support, but about integrity, exemplary behaviour, the courage to take responsibility, and the willingness to serve,” he said. He also urged voters to use their rights wisely by considering ideas rather than mere friendship or momentary influence.
The innovation of e-voting based Pemilos in Kulon Progo received appreciation from the Chairperson of the KPU DIY, Sri Surani. Sri Surani noted that the use of technology is a step towards keeping pace with the times while educating the younger generation on the importance of honest, fair, and transparent leadership transitions.
“Kulon Progo is creating an e-voting innovation that facilitates the learning process for our children. This digitalisation is important to help the democratic process continue to move forward, while maintaining integrity quickly and accurately,” said Sri Surani.
A student from SMA Negeri 2 Wates, Ahmad Tirta Kawindra, expressed his pleasure in participating in the e-voting based Pemilos as it provided direct experience regarding election stages. “I am quite happy; we can learn about the stages of an election through this Pemilos. Since I have never voted in a general election, I now have an idea of what it will be like to cast my vote in the future,” said the Year 10 student.
The Kulon Progo Regency Government hopes that inter-agency synergy will continue to be strengthened so that school participation in e-voting based Pemilos can approach 100 per cent in the future.