KPU Prepares Technical Voting for Indonesian Citizens Abroad

Surabaya (Antaranews Jatim) - The General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia has prepared a technical voting process for the 2019 Legislative General Election and Presidential Election for Indonesian Citizens abroad.

"There are three ways of voting abroad, and we have prepared everything," KPU Chairperson Arief Budiman stated from Surabaya on Wednesday.

He explained that the first way is to come directly to the polling station (TPS) in each country, which is usually in the office of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia. The next is by post, followed by preparing a mobile ballot box at the gathering center of Indonesian citizens.

"By post, technically, the KPU will send a ballot to the voters. The voters will also reply and send it back by post. We include envelopes and stamps to make it easier for voters to send it back," he stated.

Voters abroad will get two ballots, each for the Presidential Election and Legislative Election, specifically for legislative candidates of the Legislative Assembly (DPR) RI in the DKI Jakarta II electoral district, which includes Central Jakarta and South Jakarta, and Foreign Affairs, with an allocation of seven chairs.

Regarding the number of voters abroad, the former Chairman of the East Java KPU remarked that the number had reached 2 million people, with most of them in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and even in the United States.

"But we will continue to update the voter turnout and coordinate with various parties. Our hope is to increase participation there," he added.

Regarding the implementation of voting time, overseas voting is faster than that in Indonesia, which will simultaneously be held on April 17, 2019, he explained.

"The schedule is faster than in Indonesia, and it can take a week before the day is calm. This is because the holiday is different in each country, but the calculation will be the same as in Indonesia," he elaborated.

Meanwhile, regarding data on the number of Indonesian citizens from East Java who are abroad, East Java KPU still cannot ascertain the voters` numbers because they still wait for instructions from the KPU RI.

"Officially, the number is not yet available because it is still handled by the center. But, indeed, there is a high probability that many East Java residents are abroad," the East Java KPU division data and information commissioner, Choirul Anam, pointed out. (*)