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The Simultaneous Elections Are Perceived To Exacerbate The Issue Of Money Politics, Resulting In An Increase In The Cost Of Voters

The Executive Director of Indikator Politik Indonesia, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, has revealed that the simultaneous elections have led to a significant increase in the practice of vote-buying. The influence of money on voter choices, particularly in legislative elections, has also intensified, resulting in a higher "price of voters." This statement was made by Burhanuddin during his research presentation at the Indonesia Electoral Reform Outlook Forum 2024, organized by Perludem on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.  

He noted, "The number of individuals who tolerate vote-buying has risen, especially from 2019 to the present, since the implementation of simultaneous elections. Conversely, the proportion of those who deem vote-buying unacceptable has diminished." He further stated, "Currently, a greater number of people consider vote-buying to be normal, with 54.5 percent agreeing compared to 44.5 percent." This trend indicates an increasing tolerance for vote-buying since the introduction of simultaneous elections in 2019. "The acceptability of vote-buying has sharply increased when comparing the period before and after the 2019 simultaneous elections. Thus, there is a correlation between simultaneous elections and the rise of vote-buying," he explained. 

Burhanuddin added, "This correlation has been tested using multivariate analysis, controlling for several significant demographic variables, all of which indicate that vote-buying has risen significantly following the reforms—across provincial elections, regional elections, and national legislative elections." In his analysis, he observed that fewer voters now believe it is acceptable to accept money from specific candidates while still voting for their preferred candidates. "This suggests that money is becoming increasingly important. Even after regression analysis, the results remain significant despite controlling for other variables, which may be influenced by inflation," he remarked. The professor from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah also highlighted that prior to the 2019 simultaneous elections, an amount of approximately Rp 91,000-100,000 could sway the choices of 60 percent of voters. However, this figure has now decreased to 30 percent. 

Tag: Burhanuddin Muhtadi Simultaneous Elections