Political Participation of Voters in the Simultaneous Election of Governor and Deputy Governor of South Kalimantan Province in 2020 at Tabalong Regency

Abstract

This study aims to determine the characteristics of voters' political participation based on regional zones in Tabalong Regency and analyze the causes of the decline in voter political participation in the 2020 simultaneous elections of Governor and Deputy Governor of South Kalimantan Province in Tabalong Regency. The results show that: (1) Political participation of voters at the voting stage of the simultaneous election of the Governor and Deputy Governor of South Kalimantan Province in 2020 at Tabalong Regency was distinguished by regional characteristics, namely the southern region, the central region, and the northern region. The difference in the level of political participation of voters in the three regions is strongly influenced by: sociological conditions of the community, such as education, income and geography in the accessibility of voting, psychological conditions in the form of easy identification of themes, programs, and candidate figures through information technology. (2) Systematically the political participation of voters in Tabalong Regency has decreased, this phenomenon is caused by (a) the influence of the political pragmatism of voters who expect to get "benefits" economically and instantly, (b) technical election policies during the pandemic in the form of the application of the COVID-19 health protocol.