Surabaya – The Surabaya City Government (Pemkot) along with the Surabaya City General Election Commission (KPU) are preparing Polling Stations (TPS) at the Liponsos and Griya Werdha UPTDs. This is done so that the residents of Liponsos and Griya Werdha can exercise their voting rights on the polling day on February 14, 2024.
“This is the first time after the judicial review, where they have the right to vote and be elected. That’s why the KPU together with us facilitate them to use their voting rights later,” said the head of the Surabaya City Social Service Anna Fajriatin, on Tuesday (5/12/2023).
According to her, there will be two polling stations at Liponsos. First, a Special Polling Station designated for Liponsos residents who have a Surabaya ID card and reside at the Liponsos UPTD. She gave an example of the abandoned and family-less residents of Wonokromo, who are assisted by the Surabaya City Government and will enter the special polling station.
Second, a Regular Polling Station designated for residents who, when entering Liponsos, do not have proper population administration. Usually, when entering Liponsos, biometric data will be checked, and if the resident’s information is not detected or found, they will be assisted with a Surabaya ID card with an address at Liponsos Keputih.
“These residents will enter the Regular Polling Station,” she said.
In addition to Liponsos, the KPU Surabaya also prepares polling stations at Griya Werdha, but only Regular Polling Stations will be provided at the UPTD. The hope is that the residents of Griya Werdha can also easily and closely exercise their voting rights.
“Well, when the KPU team coordinated with us, we were asked to prepare the data. That’s why we are still verifying the data that will be included in the voter list,” she said.
She also ensured that Liponsos residents are not indiscriminately included in the voter list. Because the residents with mental disorders at Liponsos have varying levels of disturbance, so they have to be filtered to determine who is possible to be included in the voter list and who cannot.
“Of course, we continue to assess and monitor their mental disturbances, if they are still unstable and their emotions are not stable, we certainly will not include them, because we are worried that it will disrupt the polling station,” she said.
Nevertheless, Anna confirmed that the voting process at Liponsos and Griya Werdha will be the same as the voting process at other polling stations, such as coming to the polling station and casting a vote. However, there will be special assistance.
“Well, for this special assistance, we don’t know the process yet, but we were asked by the KPU to prepare seven assistants from the Department of Social Affairs,” she said.
Therefore, she hopes that the Surabaya KPU will soon socialize to the assistants from the Department of Social Affairs and also socialize to the residents of Liponsos and Griya Werdha. Because they need special socialization about the voting process from start to finish.
“I hope there will be a socialization to Liponsos and Griya Werdha about the voting process soon,” she concluded.
