JAKARTA. To safeguard the secrecy principle in Wednesday’s election, the Jakarta chapter of the General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has banned voters from bringing mobile phones into polling booths and taking selfies.

Voters were required to leave their phones in special boxes at polling stations before entering the voting booth, KPU Jakarta head Sumarno said.

“Voters can bring cameras or phones inside polling station areas. However, when they enter the booth, they must leave their phones behind,” he explained.

Besides protecting the secrecy of one’s vote, Sumarno said this policy was needed to prevent vote-buying practices, in which voters could take their picture while voting for a specific party’s candidate in the hope of getting a reward.  

“Let’s not take selfies in pooling booths,” he said.

Sumarno added that voters should not damage the ballot by tearing it apart or voting by using tools other than those provided.

“Don’t vote by using other tools, for example by burning the candidate’s picture with cigarettes. This will make the ballots illegitimate. Just use the provided nail to punch a hole in the candidate picture,” he said. (Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie