JakartaPost-Feb 1
Indonesians cast their votes on Valentine’s Day Voting day saw voters brave floods to cast their votes in several regions, while others were greeted by Valentine’s Day-theme decorations during the world’s largest single-day election. Indonesians came out in their millions on Wednesday to decide who will succeed President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, on an election day filled with flooding, first-time voters and Valentine’s Day-themed polling stations. The country held the world’s largest single-day election, where voters across the country simultaneously voted on their preferred presidential, as well as national and regional legislative, candidates. But voting day was not without its hurdles as extreme weather led to numerous polling stations being inundated on Wednesday. Among the affected stations was one in Larangan district, Tangerang, Banten, where poll workers had to be evacuated to a nearby musholla (prayer room), voting took place after an hour’s delay. Heavy flooding in Demak regency, Central Java, also forced election authorities to postpone voting in the region. The floods, inundating at least 10 villages in the regency, were triggered by a week-long torrential downpour, forcing around 20,000 residents to take refuge in emergency shelters. “[We decided] to postpone because these polling stations are under 3 meters of water on average,” said Siti Ulfaat, the head of Demak Elections Commission (KPU), as quoted by kompas.com. In the capital city, authorities reported dozens of inundated polling stations due to heavy rain over previous days. At least 12 polling stations in Sunter, North Jakarta, were inundated, forcing the local poll authorities to hold the elections in the coming days. “The situation was unavoidable. This is a natural disaster,” KPU official Idham Holik said as quoted by tribunnews.com. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/02/15/from-floodsto-love-hearts-indonesians-cast-their-votes-on-valentines-day.html.
