Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is preparing special polling stations for students who cannot return to their hometowns. UGM plans to collaborate with the Yogyakarta Election Commission to set up nine stations in five locations around the campus.
“A total of 2,611 prospective voters are registered in the voter list. In these special polling stations, they will only vote for the president and vice president candidates,” said the Secretary of the Directorate of Student Affairs, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, on Friday (November 24).
Dr. Suyatna mentioned that besides UGM, 14 other universities are prepared as locations for special stations for students outside Yogyakarta who want to exercise their voting rights on February 14. UGM still opens registration for students who wish to vote at UGM’s stations.
“We are facilitating additional voters for a quota of 81 students, and we will keep it open until D-30 the election. Later, we will facilitate it by providing a letter from the Directorate of Student Affairs,” he said.
Umi Istianah, Deputy Director for Student Affairs of the Health Polytechnic of the Ministry of Health in Yogyakarta, welcomed the opening of special polling stations at UGM. She will encourage students from her polytechnic to take advantage of this.
“Our students come from 34 provinces. There are around 4,000 students, and 60 to 70 percent are from outside Yogyakarta. We are pleased about the special polling stations at UGM,” she said.
Dr. Rustamadji, MD, Director of the Directorate of Community Service, stated that UGM would contribute to the success of the 2024 elections by educating the public to exercise their voting rights for presidential, vice-presidential, and legislative candidates.
“We will deploy 1,403 students to monitor the elections with 43 field supervising lecturers,” he said.
Dr. Rustamadji mentioned that these students would be deployed in various regions, including the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Central Java, West Java, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, and parts of Sumatra.
This thematic community service program will also cover other themes, such as health, waste management, and disaster mitigation.
Author: Gusti Grehenson