Background
The results of monitoring television news by the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) in 2021–2022 concluded that ownership of the mass media, which is integrated with the leadership of political parties, produces biased information. Not to mention the addition of other mass media that clearly supports one of the election participants. This situation makes the need to update election knowledge through the mass media a challenge to guarantee impartiality and accommodate the aspirations of democratic citizens, especially marginalized groups (women, youth, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and other affirmative groups).
In fact, getting information that is easy and can be accounted for is a higher need in the election context. The complexity of elections and incorrect election information make it difficult for citizens to vote and even lose their political rights due to problems in the election stages. Citizens who have the right to vote may not be included in the voter list or cannot vote on voting day. In the 2019 Indonesian Election, there were 17 million invalid votes, which were possibly caused by the complexity of the election and disinformation (kpu.go.id).
So far, election organizers have not succeeded in providing complete, open, and easily accessible election information. The data and explanations for this periodic democratic party are unsustainable and scattered. This situation makes it difficult for voters to obtain official electoral public information. When news reports go viral or conflict with one another, voters do not have public information to rely on.
Based on these three issues, Perludem through the support of The Asia-Pacific Regional Support for Elections and Political Transitions (RESPECT) program from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) developed electionhouse.org. This site is a one-stop electoral information service for the Asia Pacific regional scale. Through a number of menus, Electionhouse.org tries to serve voters to become informed and empowered.
This site is an increase in regional scale after previously, rumahpemilu.org was successfully nominated in DW Germany's "The Bobs-Best of Online Activism 2016" as an advocacy site on a national scale for Indonesia. Since 2012, rumahpemilu.org has provided information services and electoral data and advocated for the empowerment of women and other marginalized groups, especially in the 2014 and 2019 National Elections and local elections.
With such a context and position, electionhouse.org is part of the alternative media that tries to balance the mainstream media in the democratic space. Along with collecting and publishing information on the Asia Pacific election, Perludem launched electionhouse.org at the moment of the 2024 Indonesian Election including a public discussion entitled "Alternative Media Guarding Democracy". Perludem invited sources from various alternative media to discuss positions, achievements, and challenges of alternative media in actual democratic events. It is hoped that this activity will further connect and strengthen alternative media networks so that they can be more influential and sustainable in empowering the community, especially vulnerable groups, in guarding democracy.
Event Schedule
This event will be held on:
Day, date : Friday, August 11, 2023
Time : 2:00-4:00 PM (Jakarta Time)
Venue : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82291451259?pwd=UHQ2UFJJY0lUQ09NSlA0VUlGVENUUT09
Meeting ID : 822 9145 1259
Passcode. : 008872
Speakers:
- Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, Executive Director of The Asociation for Elections and Democracy (Perludem)
- Luviana Ariyanti, Editor in Chief, Konde.co
- Brizza Rosales, Project Director of The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE)
- Pradipa Rasidi, Digital Rights & Research Project Coordinator Engagemedia.org (Indonesia)
Moderator:
Nurul Amalia Salabi (Perludem)
Participants:
- Representatives of Asia Pacific regional partner institutions
- Representatives of coalition partner institutions in Indonesia
*The activity takes place using English including an Indonesian audio translator
