Jakarta (ANTARA) - General Elections Commission's (KPU's) plan to simplify ballot papers and election forms' designs aims to achieve affordable and easier election conduct for the 2024 general elections, KPU Commissioner Evi Novida Ginting Manik stated.

"The simplification is expected to realise an affordable, easier, and quick election conduct without compromising on electoral transparency and accountability," Manik remarked while presenting her remarks during the simulation event of election conduct and ballot paper counting with simplified ballot papers and election forms at the KPU Building here on Tuesday.

Simplification of ballot papers and election forms will make the 2024 general elections more affordable since fewer papers will be used, and the logistics budget will be reduced, she explained.

As voters received five ballot papers during the last general elections in 2019, the simplification will reduce the required ballot papers to only two or three, thereby making the 2024 general elections more efficient, the KPU commissioner noted.

Meanwhile, KPU election conduct technical department head Melga Carolina Van Harling stated that the simulation event conducted by the electoral commission today will not simulate all phases required at the polling station during the elections.

The simulation will only test the simplified ballot papers' utilisation and the ballot counting process that use the simplified election forms, she noted.

Van Harling stated that simulation participants would vote at two mock polling stations that use two different simplified ballot paper designs.

At the first polling station, participants will receive three ballot papers, with the first ballot containing names of presidential candidates and House of Representatives (DPR RI) legislator candidates, the second ballot for Regional Representatives Assembly (DPD RI) senator candidates, and the third ballot is for provincial and municipal/district parliaments legislator candidates, she remarked.

At the second polling station, participants will receive two ballot papers, with the first ballot containing the names of presidential candidates, legislator, and senator candidates, while the second ballot contains the names of provincial and municipal/district parliaments' legislator candidates, the department head noted.

Participants will mark their ballots by using a nail to punch a hole in the space provided next to the names of their preferred candidates, she added.

After participants complete the voting procedure at the two mock polling stations, a survey team will inquire about their experience with pre-arranged questions to assess the most effective simplification design plans, Van Harling expounded.

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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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