STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI POLITIK KOMISI PEMILIHAN UMUM (KPU) KOTA AMBON DALAM MENINGKATKAN PARTISIPASI PEMILIH (STUDI PADA PEMILU KOTA AMBON TAHUN 2024)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the political communication strategies of the General Election Commission (KPU) of Ambon City in increasing voter turnout in the 2024 General Election, and to identify the supporting and inhibiting factors of their implementation. The research is motivated by KPU data indicating a tendency of declining voter participation in several areas, including Ambon City, for instance in the 2024 presidential election where turnout decreased by approximately 0.43 percent compared to 2019. This situation requires KPU to design political communication strategies that are more creative, inclusive, and adaptive to the development of information technology and the characteristics of voters, particularly young voters. The study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with commissioners and KPU staff, community leaders, and voters, as well as documentation of voter participation statistics and official documents of Ambon City KPU. The findings show that KPU Ambon applies a combination of face-to-face communication strategies, the use of mass media and social media, segment-based voter education (for first-time voters, women, and persons with disabilities), and collaboration with the local government and universities. These strategies help maintain voter turnout at a relatively high level, but have not fully addressed disparities in participation between districts. Key supporting factors include data availability, partnership networks, and the creativity of election managers, while inhibiting factors consist of limited budgets, the difficulty of outreach to peripheral areas, and low political literacy among parts of the electorate.