Number Of Eligible Voters Increases By Three Million

Jakarta, April 17 (Antara) - The number of eligible voters increased by over three million for the upcoming presidential elections scheduled on July 9. "There are 3,114,175 more Indonesians eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential elections considering they turn 17 years after the legislative elections on April 9," Chairman of the General Election Commission (KPU) Husni Kamil Manik stated here on Thursday. The data on the would-be first time voters came from the home affairs ministry, he pointed out. The total number of eligible voters in the legislative elections was 185.1 million after being verified several times, while the number of special voters (DPK) was recorded at 914,130 people. To facilitate Indonesian citizens in exercising their right to vote in the planned presidential election, KPU will again open the registration of special voters (DPK). The commission will carry out verification to check the data of the new eligible voters and military or police officers that enter retirement after the April 9 elections. To maintain their neutrality, military and police personnel are not allowed to vote during legislative nor presidential elections. But after retiring from the security forces, they become eligible to vote.