The democratic party will take place in 2024. In this political event, of course, all components of society are expected to be able to participate in distributing their voting rights so that they can jointly determine the nation’s leaders who will determine the future fate of the country. The younger generation is referred to as the golden generation, whose participation is highly expected.
Ganesha University of Education (Undiksha) academic I Gusti Ayu Apsari Hadi, S.H., M.H. provided an understanding of the nature of elections. Basically, elections held in Indonesia have a strong legal basis. This is because it is stated in the 1945 Constitution article 22 E paragraph 1 which states that elections are generally held based on the principles of direct, general, free, secret, honest, and fair every five years. This is not just formal legal but must be implemented and realized because elections are said to be an embodiment
Popular sovereignty is one of the principles of democracy, namely government that originates from, by, and for the people. Therefore, the people have an important role and are expected to take part in control
The government and the people have the right to elect their leaders.
Through elections, elected leaders are also expected to be able to adjust the development plans that will be made so that they are in line with the development plans that have been made previously by previous leaders. From research he conducted in Buleleng Regency, it was found that the level of first-time voters was almost 70% as a result of the demographic bonus. So the age of first-time voters in 2024 is predicted to increase. As is known, first-time voters have a minimum age of 17 years, so they are an important factor in the implementation of the elections. It could even be said that these first-time voters are the main actors in the 2024 election contestation.
However, novice voters who are still unfamiliar with elections still need to be guided so they can recognize the candidates they will elect later. One way to do this is by approaching social media which is very familiar to the younger generation. Apart from that, it is also necessary to carry out socialization so that the younger generation, especially first-time voters, can become intelligent voters who can truly know the character of the leader, vision and mission, etc. of the candidate they will choose later. Meanwhile, the most important approach that can be taken at the school level is through a learning curriculum which must be more directed at political education or beginner voter education so that children do not become indifferent to the implementation of this nation’s politics. Apart from that, they also need to know the true essence of elections because they also have the right to carry them out.
The election contestation held in Indonesia still has the potential to be colored by black campaigns and the spread of hoaxes. In fact, this is clearly prohibited. Those who are deemed to have tainted or incited their political opponents can later be punished. Therefore, voters must be smart and careful, especially when viewing or reading information spread on social media, and must always ensure that the information they obtain really comes from a credible institution.
A democratic country like Indonesia considers young people to have a major role. This can be seen from the beginning of independence until reformation, there has always been a role for youth in it. So it could be said that youth in this case are the mouthpiece between the elite and society. What young people think can be believed and trusted by society so the role of young people is very important. Not only as a voter but also as an organizer because a small role can provide big benefits.
It is hoped that young people can be free or get out of their comfort zones and play a role in voicing their rights as citizens because the voices they cast will have a big impact on the survival of the Indonesian nation.
