Product Evaluation of the Voter List Update Policy in Gorontalo Regency

Abstract

Accurate voter data is fundamental to the integrity of democratic elections, ensuring public participation and supporting governance quality. In Gorontalo Regency, Indonesia, the 2020 Regional Elections revealed challenges in the voter list updating process conducted through Matching and Research (Coklit), affecting data validity and electoral outcomes. This study evaluates the product of the voter list updating policy in Gorontalo Regency, emphasizing the achievement of program objectives, data accuracy, public satisfaction, and democratic impact. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed. Data were collected via direct observation, in-depth interviews with voter list updating officers, election supervisors, and official documents from the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). Analysis utilized the CIPP evaluation model, focusing on the product component to assess effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and adaptability of the voter list updating process. Findings indicate that the voter list updating policy’s product remains suboptimal. Discrepancies existed between the Voter List (DPT) published by KPU and Bawaslu findings, including unregistered voters and unrecorded data changes. These inaccuracies contributed to public dissatisfaction and reduced voter participation. Product evaluation also highlighted gaps in operational mechanisms, inter-official coordination, and the underutilization of information technology, suggesting areas for strategic improvement. This study underscores the necessity of systematic evaluation of voter list updating policies to strengthen electoral accuracy, enhance local democracy, and guide decision-making for future policy refinements. Implementing technological solutions and improving procedural coordination are recommended to achieve more reliable, transparent, and participatory voter list management in subsequent elections.