PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - To optimize voter participation at the democratic party on February 14 2024, the Bandung City Government (Pemkot) is massively recording electronic KTPs (KTP-el) for 14,846 first-time voters.

Acting Mayor of Bandung, Bambang Tirtoyuliono said, based on data from the KPU, there are 1.87 million voters in Bandung City.

"This has the potential to increase, especially for those who have just become voters. The potential is among high school and vocational school students and equivalent. Therefore, we have to reconcile and develop strategies so that first-time voters have the political right to give their aspirations and they can really be channeled," " he said.

Moreover, in 2019, voter participation in the election in Bandung City reached 86 percent. Bambang hopes that this figure can be achieved again, even better.

"This must be a benchmark for other cities. In 2024, it will be at least the same as 2019. We must make significant efforts and strategies, breakthroughs to pick up the ball, pick up Bandung City residents who have the right to get e-KTP records," he said.

Responding to this, the Head of the Bandung City Population and Civil Registration Office, Tatang Muchtar, admitted that he had held a follow-up meeting with all high school principals and other stakeholders to accelerate the recording of e-KTPs for first-time voters.

"So that new voters who have been recorded and received population administration can voice their aspirations in the election. The hope is that in this year's election the participation rate will increase more than the previous year's election," said Tatang.

Secretary of the Bandung City Population and Civil Registration Office, Zamzam Nurzaman Hanafi, explained that e-KTP recording for first-time voters has been carried out since October 2023 in 33 schools.

"We have achieved the recording of 1,799 people. As of January 17 2024, there are 2,718 new voters whose e-KTPs have been recorded. The target is to reach 17,564 people, meaning there are still 14,846 people remaining until February 14 2024," he said.

He added that the strategy is of course to pick up the ball. Including picking up football for Bandung residents who go to school outside Bandung City.

Because, of the 14,846 people whose e-KTPs have not been recorded, there are 11,808 people who attend school in Bandung City. Then, outside Bandung there are 3,249 people, with details of the number of students studying in West Java Province being 2,671 people, while outside West Java there are 485 people.

"We only have 29 days left. If we continue operating on weekends, that means we have to record 512 people per day. But if Saturday and Sunday are off, we have to record 990 people per day," he said.

Therefore, he said, if recording was divided into 30 sub-districts throughout the city of Bandung, it means that each sub-district must be able to record 30 people per day.

"This number could be even lower because officers can use our 6 outlets. There are 5 mapeling cars that can also be activated to help speed up the recording of e-KTPs for first-time voters in Bandung City," he added.

Responding to this strategy, the Head of the West Java Province Dukcapil Disdukcapil, Berli Hamdani Gelung Sakti, said that all the efforts that had been carried out by the Bandung City Dukcapil Disdukcapil on various services had been carried out to the maximum.

"I am confident that this target can be achieved and fulfilled in Bandung City within the time available," said Berli.

He also stated that the progress of recording activities that had been carried out by the West Java Provincial Dukcapil Office in 27 city districts had reached 300,000 data out of the targeted 400,000 thousand.

"We have a target of completing 400,000 pieces of data in Dapodik (Basic Education Data). We have currently recorded up to 300,000 of them. So, in general the progress is very good," he said.

He hopes that in the future the recording of e-KTPs for novice voters can be done more quickly and at the same time the e-KTPs can be physically handed over to their owners.

"This is also useful for providing legal certainty and legal protection to the owner of the e-KTP," he said. (rdp*)