The damaged ballot papers were found during the sorting and folding processes at all regional offices of the General Elections Commission (KPUD) in the province from December 30, 2023, to January 10, 2024.
According to Astuti Usman, coordinator for Election Fraud, Data, and Information Division at the Bawaslu-Maluku Office, the damaged ballot papers were found in Tual City, Southwest Maluku District.
The damaged ballot papers were also found in Buru, Central Maluku District; Aru Islands (Southeast Maluku District); Western Seram District; and South Buru District, Usman revealed.
"We have suggested that the KPU-regional offices send requests for the substitution of all damaged ballot papers," she remarked.
Damaged ballot papers were also discovered in South Sumatra Province.
According to the Bawaslu-South Sumatra Office, some 3,354 ballot papers for the presidential election were found in a damaged condition. Hence, it has urged the province's General Elections Commission (KPU) to destroy them.
Meanwhile, election logistics for the districts of Biak Numfor, Supiori, Waropen, and Yapen Kepulauan in Papua Province had arrived at Biak International Airport's cargo warehouse on Thursday (Jan 11).
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The election logistics were received by Melkianus Rumbrawer, a commissioner of the KPU-Biak Numfor Office, and witnessed by some local government officials and Head of the Biak Prosecutors' Office, A. Hanung Widyatmaka.
Ballot papers for the parliamentary and presidential elections, scheduled on Feb 14, would be sorted and folded at the KPU-Biak Numfor Office before being distributed to the four districts, Rumbrawer remarked.
ANTARA reported earlier that the KPU had declared that a total of 204,807,222 voters were registered on the final voter list for the 2024 General Elections.
The KPU also announced that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously across Indonesia on February 14.
The commission has officially set a 75-day election campaign period for the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates from November 28, 2023, to February 10, 2024.
All participating political parties and presidential contenders have pledged to conduct peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections.
Three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates contesting the presidential election are Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md.
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Translator: Winda H, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
