Selective Democratic Engagement and Voter Participation in the 2024 Elections: Evidence from Palu City, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/jt.v9i1.53978Keywords:
Political Participation, Voting Behavior, Simultaneous Elections, Local Democracy, Rational ChoiceAbstract
This study aims to analyze the factors that contributed to the decline in voter participation between the 2024 General Election and the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) in Palu City, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, and to explain how voters evaluated their decisions to participate in these two democratic arenas. This study employed a qualitative approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with voters, the Palu City General Election Commission, and local political observers, supported by document analysis of official electoral records. The findings indicate that the decline in voter participation was influenced by economic pressure, job mobility, administrative constraints, electoral fatigue, evaluations of local politics, and the level of trust in the local government. These factors did not directly lead to political apathy; instead, they shaped voters' evaluations of the benefits, relevance, and consequences of participating in the Pilkada. This study highlights the importance of strengthening voter education and developing electoral policies that are more responsive to local social conditions. The primary contribution of this study lies in the development of the concept of Selective Democratic Engagement, which extends Rational Choice Theory by demonstrating that voters' rational considerations are directed not only toward candidate selection but also toward the decision of whether to participate in a particular democratic arena.
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