VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The General Elections Commission (KPU) has devised a new ballot box design to make the box more durable and capable of withstanding damage while being used at voting venues during the 2024 General Elections.

"In terms of specifications, we will strengthen the ballot box compared to what was used in the 2019 elections," said KPU Commissioner Yulianto Sudrajat during a hearing meeting between Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and electoral organizers at the Parliament Complex here on Monday.

The electoral commission described the ballot box design specifications in thorough detail in a KPU regulation draft for which approval was sought during the meeting.

Sudrajat stated that to make the ballot box stronger, the KPU has decided to change the thickness of the outer layer of the box, which is made of coated duplex, from 200 grams per square meter (as used in 2019) to 250 grams.

The ballot box's inner layer, which is made of kraft carton, will also be made thicker, from 200 grams per square meter (as used in 2019) to 275 grams, he added.

"Due to the specification change to strengthen the ballot box, its total weight has increased from 2.06 kilograms (in 2019) to 2.26 kilograms for the 2024 Elections. However, its capacity remains at 20 to 30 kilograms (of ballots)," the commissioner informed.

In addition to changing the box material, the electoral commission has also changed the specification for the small transparent window at the center of the front side of the ballot box to enable observers to see inside it.

The KPU has decided to reduce the window's size from 20 x 25 centimeters (as used in 2019) to 17 x 20 centimeters to improve the ballot box's integrity, he said.

Yulianto informed that the decision to reduce the window size was based on the commission's finding that the ballot box would be weakened if the window were larger.

"We reduced it to increase the ballot box's integrity because the larger the transparent part, the weaker it will be," he explained. (Antaranews)