The Impacts of Single Candidate on Public Participation in Voting: A Case Study of Local Election in Timor Tengah Utara District, Indonesia

Public participation in electoral political process is a crucial factor. The regional electoral commission report indicates that the number of people participating in voting in the 2015 local election in Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) district declined compared to that of previous election. This study therefore aimed at identifying the impacts of single candidate on public participation in voting in the local election in TTU district, Indonesia. A qualitative inquiry employing one-to-one in-depth interviews was used to collect the data from the participants. The participants (n=15) were recruited using convenience sampling technique. Data were analysed using a thematic qualitative data analysis framework. The results of the study indicated that local election with single candidate made people less enthusiastic and unwilling to participate in the electoral process or in voting. Socio-cultural, economic, political and technical factors were also associated with the reduction of public participation in the previous election. Further studies are recommended to identify other impacts of such election on public participation in voting, and to understand what can be done by the government and electoral commission to increase the participation of public in the election process and in voting.