Executive Summary
In 2014, the General Elections Commission (KPU) introduced a number of information technology (IT) innovations to improve the quality of the legislative elections and the presidential election. KPU established new service standards in several areas, including:
- SIDALIH, Indonesia’s first national voter database and the largest in the world at the time, containing nearly 190 million voters. SIDALIH produced the most accurate and least controversial voter list in KPU’s history.
- KPU’s Application Programming Interface (API), which enabled KPU to provide election data in an open-data format, increasing transparency and allowing citizens and KPU partners to develop election-related services based on that data.
- An online archive of scanned C1 forms from every polling station (TPS), enabling the public to independently tabulate election results through crowdsourcing initiatives.
- IT infrastructure connecting 531 KPU offices, enabling the operation of SIDALIH and the election-results scanning initiative.
Unfortunately, the 2014 elections also highlighted several areas where KPU had not yet achieved international standards of election administration, particularly:
- KPU was unable to announce election results quickly.
- The number of invalid ballots remained high.
- KPU lacked sufficient IT experts to develop and maintain its own information systems.
- KPU did not have an institutional IT strategy capable of addressing its organizational needs.
Recently, debates surrounding election administration have increasingly focused on the role of technology in future Indonesian elections, particularly the proposed introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). IFES believes that introducing EVMs in Indonesia would be a mistake and that changes resulting from their implementation could weaken the overall quality of elections.
When considering the use of EVMs in the Indonesian context and examining international best practices, several findings emerge:
- Indonesia’s voting and vote-counting process already meets international standards of transparency and represents a strong form of local ownership that could be undermined by the introduction of EVMs. On election day, KPU conducts voting activities in nearly half a million polling stations across the country, providing a service that many citizens view as a celebration rather than an obligation—something many countries aspire to achieve.
- Globally, EVMs are increasingly losing credibility. Only a small number of countries use EVMs exclusively; most EVM systems struggle to gain public trust, fail to deliver the promised cost savings, and lack transparency. These concerns have led many countries to restrict or abandon their use.
In short, IFES strongly recommends that EVMs should not be introduced in Indonesia.
Instead, to make meaningful progress while building on the success of the 2014 election technology initiatives, KPU should lead a broader discussion on electoral technology rather than focusing solely on EVMs. Specifically, KPU should:
- Develop an electronic election results management system (commonly known as e-Recapitulation or eRekap) that enables election results to be determined quickly and credibly.
- Seek guidance and expertise through cooperation with Indonesia’s e-government community to address KPU’s IT capacity limitations.
- Develop an institutional IT strategy covering all aspects of election administration.
- Build IT solutions that leverage existing infrastructure while introducing new tools to improve electoral services (voter registration, election results, voter education, political party and candidate registration, political finance, etc.) and organizational functions (finance, logistics, procurement, human resources, data analysis, etc.).
KPU should begin this effort by replicating the success achieved through voter registration reform. In the 2014 elections, for the first time, the voter list was not a major source of controversy. Through KPU’s Voter Registration Initiative, a steering committee was established under KPU leadership, comprising representatives from national and regional KPU offices, government institutions such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), as well as leaders from civil society organizations and academia. This committee played a key role in improving the voter registration process.
A similar consultative and inclusive process supporting the establishment of a national advisory board on electoral technology, led by KPU, would greatly benefit both KPU and Indonesia’s electoral process. Such a process would strengthen cooperation between KPU, other government institutions, and key election reform stakeholders. The advisory board would also provide KPU with access to the ongoing strategic IT guidance it needs.
The objective is to build broad support for targeted and effective electoral technology reforms. The advisory board’s initial priorities should include:
- Conducting an EVM feasibility study focused on the question “Does Indonesia need EVMs?” rather than “Is Indonesia ready for EVMs?”
- Supporting KPU in developing an electronic election results management system.
- Assisting KPU in formulating a comprehensive IT strategy and ensuring that all electoral technology solutions are compatible, integrated, and operated on a common infrastructure.
The full paper can be downloaded through the following link:
The Need to Develop e-Recapitulation (eRekap) and Avoid Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)
Publications referenced in the paper are also available for download below.
