Wednesday (7/27) Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi [The Association for Elections and Democracy] (Perludem) and The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (The International IDEA) launched Electoral Redistricting App or ERA. This application is designed as a technology for making electoral districts which is intended to assist the process of forming electoral districts in accordance with universal standards and principles for forming electoral districts. ERA also encourages the process of forming electoral districts that are more transparent, accessible, and participatory, because everyone can provide input in the process of forming electoral districts..
“By utilizing the ERA application, it is hoped that the process of forming electoral districts can be carried out in an easy and inexpensive way. There is a step-by-step guide in this application that will make it easier for users in all countries," said Perludem researcher, Heroik Pratama at the ERA launch event at the Bidakara Hotel, South Jakarta.
The ERA application utilizes digital maps and geographic information systems. Everyone who will use the ERA application is required to have two main data, namely shapefile data which contains geospatial data, maps of geographic areas and other attributes that form the basis for the basic map in forming an electoral district. Second, population data in .CSV format to calculate the amount of seat quota in each administrative area in the formation of electoral districts.
There are three main features in the ERA application. First, the Knowledge Hub, which is an information portal containing theoretical and practical documents on the formation of electoral districts accompanied by case studies in several countries. Second, ERA Workshop, which is an application to form electoral districts. The ERA application is available both offline and online. Third, Map Library, a feature that can be used by users to upload the results of the formation of electoral districts so that they can be seen by the public.
“The publication of the results of the formation of this electoral district is not mandatory, but is voluntary. So, when you save the results of the formation of the electoral district, the results cannot be known by anyone. Unless you want to share it with the public through the Map Library, "explained Senior Program Manager of The international IDEA, Adhy Aman.
In the ERA Workshop feature itself, the step-by-step guide provided is as follows.
1. Parliamentary seat. Users must enter the number of parliamentary seats and the amount of seat allocation in each electoral district to be formed.
2. Standard deviation. The user enters the deviation tolerance limit in forming an electoral district whose purpose is to maintain the principle of proportionality.
3. Map overlay. Users input additional details on the regional map, such as roads, rivers, lakes, mountains, and other geographic contours that are intended to make it easier for users to combine regions to become a constituency. This step will make it easier for voters to form electoral districts according to the principle of contiguity or regional unity.
4. Giving names and colors for electoral districts that have been formed by the user.
5. A detailed summary of the electoral district containing information on the area, population, seat quota, seat allocation, and remaining seat quota allocation.
6. Save the created electoral district formation file in .JSON and .PDF formats.
Making the ERA application is also aimed at grounding the issue of the formation of electoral districts in the community. So far, the issue of electoral district formation is only understood by election organizers and practitioners. With the ERA, it is hoped that the community can try to demonstrate the creation of electoral districts.
”We want the issue of the formation of the electoral district to become a wider discourse for anyone who has an interest in the issue of electoral governance. Friends can visit the website
International IDEA to access the ERA application and try it out," said Executive Director of Perludem, Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati.
The ERA application can be accessed through the following link https://www.idea.int/data-tools/electoral-redistricting-app.
