Live
More than 204 million people are registered to vote in Indonesia [Johannes Panji Christo/Anadolu via Getty Images]
By Kate Mayberry
Published On 13 Feb 2024

This live page has now closed, but you can follow the results here.

14 Feb 2024 - 06:34
 (06:34 GMT)

It’s a wrap

Since polls have now closed across Indonesia, we’re also going to close this page. But our live coverage of the Indonesian election continues here.

So stay with the Al Jazeera Live team to find out who the winner will be and much more.

14 Feb 2024 - 06:20
 (06:20 GMT)

Voter says Prabowo-Gibran offer continuation of Jokowi’s policies

By Randy Mulyanto

More than one million Indonesians living outside the country also had a chance to vote.

Many took part in early voting over the weekend, but Indonesians in Beijing voted on the same day as Indonesians at home.

First-time voter Maria Jessica Fernanda Santoso was among them.

The 20-year-old international relations student said she voted for Prabowo and Gibran because of their “previous government experience” and because she saw them as the continuity candidates who were most likely to maintain President Joko Widodo’s policies.

“I am confident that [Prabowo-Gibran] has the potential to continue these efforts better,” she said.

Before going to vote at Indonesia’s embassy in Beijing, she did some research about Prabowo, as well as reading news on online media sites and watching the presidential debates broadcast on YouTube.

As an Indonesian living abroad, she hoped “Indonesia’s achievements will become better known, and there will be leaders who can take Indonesia further forward”.

14 Feb 2024 - 06:05
 (06:05 GMT)

Last polling stations close in Indonesia; count to begin

The last polling stations in Indonesia’s west have closed.

More than 204 million voters were choosing a successor to incumbent Joko Widodo.

The last polls before campaigning ended at the weekend suggested a win for former general Prabowo Subianto, the oldest candidate in the race, and we should get a reliable indication of the outcome from the so-called “quick counts” that will start coming out this afternoon.

The winner has to get more than 50 percent. If no one meets that threshold there will be a run-off between the top two candidates on June 26.

A woman casting her ballot at a polling station in Jimbaran on the island of Bali [Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP]
14 Feb 2024 - 05:35
 (05:35 GMT)

Looking for ‘growth and stability’ in Indonesian economy

Fatyah Adzikra works for a startup in central Jakarta.

She has been out to vote today and said she wants a president who can ensure the “growth and stability of the Indonesian economy”.

Like many young people in Indonesia, Zikrah has been following the election campaigns on social media. All three of the presidential candidates have used platforms like TikTok to try and reach younger voters.

“More young people are engaged in this election and I think social media has the biggest influence on them as that is where they get most of their information.”

Here in Jakarta, there is less than an hour until the polls close. The weather has improved considerably in the centre of the system and voting centres have gradually become busier throughout the day.

Fatyah Adzikra has been following the campaign on social media [Adam Hancock/Al Jazeera]
14 Feb 2024 - 05:20
 (05:20 GMT)

Flooded roads, heavy traffic hamper efforts to vote

By Randy Mulyanto

Reporting from Tangerang, near Jakarta

A few hours before polls opened in Java, I could hear heavy rain outside.

As the voting day started at 7am, it was flooded in front of my house in Tangerang, near Jakarta; the drains clogged up and were unable to handle all the water.

It wasn’t until 10.30am that I could start making my way to the polling station with my parents and younger brother.

It’s only a few kilometres from our house to our designated polling station, but it took more than one hour thanks to more flooding and traffic jams.

We were all eager to “complete our mission” by casting our votes and dipping our fingers in purple ink to show we’d cast our votes, and a bit worried we wouldn’t make it in time.

We finally got there just before 12pm, an hour before the polls were due to close.

People outside Randy Mulyanto’s polling station in Tangerang near Jakarta [Randy Mulyanto/Al Jazeera]
14 Feb 2024 - 05:05
 (05:05 GMT)

Most polling stations are closed. What happens now?

Most polling stations are already closed, with only those in the country’s west still open.

The count, in public, starts almost as soon as polling ends and this is where Indonesia’s unusual voting method – piercing the ballot rather than making a cross – becomes important.

Election workers hold up each ballot paper so that everyone can see the holes as they read the names of the chosen candidates.

As the votes are counted, early results based on sampling, known as “quick counts”, will be released and are considered a reliable indicator of the actual result.

The official process can take as long as 35 days to be completed, the maximum time regulated by the Elections Law.

Indigenous Baduy people queueing to cast their ballots in Kenekes village. Votes will be counted in public [Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas/Antara Foto via Reuters]
14 Feb 2024 - 04:45
 (04:45 GMT)

Jokowi casts vote amid controversy over his role in campaign

Outgoing President Joko Widodo has cast his vote in the election.

His eldest son, Gibran, is running alongside former general Prabowo Subianto, the man Jokowi defeated twice.

Indonesian presidents have traditionally stayed out of the fray during campaigning and some worry Jokowi has been altogether too prominent this time around.

Jokowi cast his vote at a small polling station in central Jakarta and said he hoped the election would be “honest, fair and safe”. He was accompanied by his wife.

Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana gather their ballot papers at their polling station in Jakarta [Mas Agung Wilis / AFP]
14 Feb 2024 - 04:29
 (04:29 GMT)

Medan voter frustrated amid confusion over allocated polling station

By Aisyah Llewellyn

Reporting from Medan

It’s a blisteringly hot and sunny day in Medan, North Sumatra and polling stations appear quiet even as the clock ticks down on the final hours of polling.

There is also some confusion about where people are allowed to cast their votes.

In the Medan Selayang district, frustrated resident Isna Sari tried to cast her vote but was told that she needed to go to a different polling station in another part of the city, in line with the address on her Indonesian identity card.

Sari said that she had believed that she could cast her vote at any polling station in Medan and had wanted to vote for Anies Baswedan. The polling station where she was being directed was on the other side of the city and too far away.

“It is such a waste of my right to have a voice,” she said.

Voters checking the candidate list at a Medan polling station [Aisyah Llewellyn/Al Jazeera]
14 Feb 2024 - 04:05
 (04:05 GMT)

A recap of developments

It’s just after 11am (04:00 GMT) in Jakarta.

Indonesians are voting in a hugely consequential election. Here’s recap of what’s been happening:

  • Polling stations in the country’s east were the first to open and have just closed. Those in the central area will close within the next hour and the remainder in two hours’ time.
  • Rain and flooding caused some problems, particularly in Java, but most polling stations appear to have been busy and voters enthusiastic.
  • The three leading presidential candidates all voted early on.
People queue to vote at a polling station in Semarang, Central Java [Juni Kriswanto/AFP]
14 Feb 2024 - 03:50
 (03:50 GMT)

‘Everybody cares’: Young and old turn out to cast ballots in Bali’s Sanur

By Madeline Croad

Reporting from Sanur

Voters were queueing down the street early this morning waiting for their chance to vote in the election. Families, first-time voters, friends and veterans all gathered – dressed up to celebrate the occasion.

Eighteen-year-old Gunghar’s heart “pounded,” as he placed his vote. He thinks that young people will have a substantial impact on the result.

“The young people want major changes in Indonesia,” he said. “We want changes, we want Indonesia to be the most impactful country in the world.”

Gunghar is voting for the first time [Madeline Croad/Al Jazeera]

For Gunghar, the most important issue are the social and poverty problems facing Indonesia, which he hopes can start to be fixed with a new president in power.

Sisters Anggi and Yuna Candra were also lining up to vote for the first time. For them, issues related to the police are their main concern in deciding who to vote for.

The pair said they were “so excited” to see what the outcome would be later in the day, and to find out who the country’s next president would be.

As well as the huge turnout of young voters, many veterans and families gathered outside the polling station to cast their votes.

Sisters Anggi and Yuna say they are excited to find out who wins [Madeline Croad/Al Jazeera]

Among them was former Indonesian ambassador to New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya, who was voting alongside his family.

It was Yahya’s fourth time voting in a presidential election but he thinks this year, voter participation could reach a new high, as people are starting to care more about who leads them.

“It’s going to be the first election that will invite the most participation from the people, everybody cares about who is going to be the next president of Indonesia,” he said.

“We think of having representatives that will work for the people, presidents that can lead the country to a better stage, a president that can unite the whole nation, that can prosper the people and can bring Indonesia to the level that we want internationally.”

Tantowi Yahya, centre, the former Indonesian ambassador to New Zealand, is expecting a large turnout [Madeline Croad/Al Jazeera]
14 Feb 2024 - 03:35
 (03:35 GMT)

Photos: Polling stations decked out in pink hearts for Valentine’s Day

The fact that Indonesia’s election is on Valentine’s Day hasn’t escaped the attention of election workers.

Some have decorated their polling stations with pink hearts, balloons and romantic messages to mark the occasion.

A woman shows her inked finger after voting at a Valentine’s Day-themed polling station in Solo, Central Java [Achmad Ibrahim/AP]
A polling station in Malang, East java, decorated for Valentine’s Day [Ari Bowo Sucipto/Antara Foto via Reuters]
A man waits for his turn to vote at a Valentine’s Day-themed polling station in Denpasar, Bali [Firdia Lisnawati/AP]

14 Feb 2024 - 03:20
 (03:20 GMT)

Voters look for presidential candidate who can ‘make Indonesia better’

By Adam Hancock

Reporting from Jakarta

Marcellina Pujowati is one of the millions of young voters heading to the polls in Indonesia today. More than half the electorate are under the age of 40, meaning that the youth vote has been critically important throughout this campaign.

“The job situation is most important to us young voters because nowadays, it is hard to find a job, so that is a big requirement for us”, she said.

As of August last year, the unemployment rate for 15-24 year olds was just under 20 percent, with job security a big concern for Indonesia’s youthful electorate.

Before casting her ballot, Marcellina said she wanted a president who could “make Indonesia better” by improving the political and economic situation in the country.

Voter Marcellina Pujowati is concerned about jobs for young people [Adam Hancock/Al Jazeera]
14 Feb 2024 - 03:05
 (03:05 GMT)

Anies, Ganjar and Prabowo cast their votes

The three contenders for the presidency have all cast their votes.

Anies Baswedan voted in Jakarta, Ganjar Pranowo in the city of Semarang and Prabowo Subianto in Bogor.

 

Anies shows his ink-stained finger after casting his vote [Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters]
Ganjar waiting at the polling station in Semarang to cast his vote [Juni Kriswanto/AFP]
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto holding the ballot paper as he prepares to make his choice at a polling station in Bogor [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

14 Feb 2024 - 02:50
 (02:50 GMT)

Jokowi ‘single most important person not running for office’ in election: Analyst

President Joko Widodo cannot run for another term in office because he has already served two.

But Jokowi remains enormously popular and is the “single most important person not running for office in this campaign,” Greg Fealy, an emeritus professor at the Australian National University and an expert in Indonesian politics, told Al Jazeera.

“His support for Prabowo – and we must keep in mind that Prabowo’s vice presidential running mate is Jokowi’s eldest son – Jokowi’s support for that pairing has been a critical factor. Jokowi is extraordinarily popular, with a more than 80 percent approval rating, and Prabowo is the main beneficiary of that.”

Indonesian President Joko Widodo remains enormously popular [File: Ezra Acayan/Pool via Reuters]
14 Feb 2024 - 02:39
 (02:39 GMT)

‘Stop undermining democracy and fully protect press freedom’: Alliance of Independent Journalists

By Randy Mulyanto

Reporting from Jakarta

Indonesia’s Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI)  has called for Jokowi to “stop undermining democracy and fully protect press freedom”.

The AJI made the call in a thread on X on Sunday.

“Indonesia has experienced an extraordinary decline in democracy under the leadership of President Joko Widodo. Respect for human rights is ignored in order to maintain investments that benefit the oligarchy,” AJI said in one of the posts.

There were “89 cases of attacks” targeting Indonesian journalists and media in 2023, according to AJI, “the highest in a decade”. Press freedom was at “a critical situation” under Jokowi, it added.

“Violence after violence occurred without being followed by a serious and impartial investigation, resulting in a cycle of violence against journalists that never stopped,” AJI said.

“Freedom of the press is being restricted when its role is much more needed in the midst of declining democracy.”

AJI also called for the president to “stop abusing power because it undermines democracy and election integrity” by “ensuring the press can work independently and free from violence, criminalisation and interference from political interests”.

Jokowi will leave office in October.

14 Feb 2024 - 02:17
 (02:17 GMT)

Who is Prabowo Subianto?

For legions of young Indonesians, Prabowo Subianto is a “cuddly grandpa”, a man who personifies “gemoy”, a term for anything deemed adorable.

But for others, the 72-year-old former Kopassus special forces commander is a dangerous man with a tarnished military record; the only candidate with links to the hardline regime of former leader Soeharto, his former father-in-law.

Prabowo was dishonourably discharged in 1998 after Kopassus soldiers kidnapped and tortured Soeharto’s political opponents. Of 22 activists kidnapped that year, 13 remain missing. Prabowo never faced trial, although several of his men were tried and convicted.

He has also been accused of human rights abuses in East Timor, which won independence from Indonesia amid the collapse of the Soeharto regime, and its troubled eastern region of Papua.

After a period of self-exile, Prabowo returned to run for the presidency, an ambition he had reportedly harboured since he was a boy.

On both occasions – in 2014 and 2019 – he lost to Jokowi.

After refusing to acknowledge the results amid bloody protests on the streets, Jokowi offered him the post of defence minister in a bid for unity.

Prabowo has been portrayed as ‘gemoy’ in cartoons put out by his campaign [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]
14 Feb 2024 - 01:41
 (01:41 GMT)

Indonesia’s democracy ‘stronger than a strongman’: Analyst

Ben Bland, a former Indonesia correspondent and the author of Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia, has written about his thoughts on the election in an essay for Foreign Policy.

Bland now leads the Asia Pacific programme at Chatham House in London and says that while there are concerns about the consequences of a Prabowo win, he is “unlikely to pose an existential threat to the country”.

He notes that Indonesia’s democracy remains resilient even with the erosion of some checks and balances, pointing to its vibrant civil society, investigative media, and decentralised political system as constraints to presidential power.

Here’s an extract.

“But in 25 years, the country has also developed a set of political norms that have shaped Prabowo’s campaign and would likely constrain him if he wins the presidency. It might not resemble the Western vision of a liberal democracy, but the battles to shape the future of its political system will not end after the election. If Prabowo wins on February 14, he still may not win enough votes to prevent a June runoff. But it is crucial both to understand why Indonesians may voluntarily choose such a figure and to consider what he might do in power. Indonesia is not just a symbol. It is the world’s third most populous democracy, and it is likely to play a critical role in the increasingly fractious U.S.-China rivalry roiling the Indo-Pacific. Indonesian voters’ enthusiasm for Prabowo does not represent a disillusionment with democracy; instead, it reflects their conviction that he will uphold Jokowi’s positive economic legacy—and their implicit faith that their democratic institutions can rein in even a strong-willed president.”

14 Feb 2024 - 01:15
 (01:15 GMT)

Prabowo Subianto hoping to reach 50 percent threshold and avoid run-off

By Reporting from Jakarta and Jessica Washington

All the polls suggest Prabowo Subianto is the frontrunner.

There are some polls that suggest he could win this election outright (on Wednesday) but there are others that suggest he might struggle to get across the 50 percent threshold. The important context is that even if he does have a comfortable lead over his competitors if he cannot pass the 50 percent there will be a run-off round in June with the top two candidates.

So that’s the key question today: will he secure enough for that 50 percent or will there be a second round.

Prabowo’s campaign has certainly benefitted from the popularity of incumbent Joko Widodo because his running mate is Widodo’s eldest son, so we’ll see whether that Jokowi effect is enough to get Prabowo over the line and secure him the job he’s wanted for many decades.

14 Feb 2024 - 00:45
 (00:45 GMT)

Heavy rain and floods wreak havoc in parts of Java, some unable to vote

By Reporting from Jakarta and Adam Hancock

Polls have now opened in the west of Indonesia, including here in Jakarta.

It’s a rainy morning in Indonesia’s capital, following a big storm overnight. The weather hasn’t dampened the spirits of voters, though, who turned out early at this polling station.

Elsewhere in Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, the weather is already wreaking havoc on election day.

Ten villages in a central province have been unable to vote due to flooding with more weather warnings for heavy rain on the west of the island forecast throughout the day.

People came out early to vote despite heavy rain [Adam Hancock/Al Jazeera]
14 Feb 2024 - 00:33
 (00:33 GMT)

Election monitors urge vigilance amid risk of irregularities

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), one of a number of accredited election monitoring groups deployed to Indonesia, has urged vigilance amid the risk of voting irregularities.

In a statement issued on the eve of voting, ANFREL said election authorities should “ensure the integrity of the elections is intact, and safeguard the electoral process against irregularities and other attempts to undermine the voice of the people”.

ANFREL has 14 monitors working in the country.

Among the issues surrounding the election, it noted the implications of last year’s Constitutional Court ruling that allowed Gibran Rakabuming Raka to contest for the vice presidency, as well as the impact of money politics.

“Ensuring transparency in campaign funds is a crucial aspect of the election process which must be monitored,” it said.

ANFREL will release an interim report on its observations on February 18.