On Wednesday, February 14th 2024, the national president and legislative election was held. This year, most of the students are not celebrating the fourteenth as Valentine’s Day, but rather as the first time filling in their duty as a citizen – participating in the nation’s democracy. As in this year, students that has turned to the age of 17 just gained the right to vote in the national election.
This year’s national election has constantly been an enourmous topics among the citizens, and the students were not an exception. For the past couple of months, because of social media campaigns by the election candidates, teenagers has been dominating the chats and commentaries surrounding the election. And as a first-time-voters, there has also been numerous discussions about the election among the students, both formally in class or casually at lunch break. From tiktok trends to conspiracy theories, the students are constantly discussing in excitement while counting the days to February 14th to do, what some of our students called “being an adult”.
Come to the day of the democratic party, The Arc asked our students to share their experience.
Descha ’25, “I remember waking up feeling incredibly excited because I thought, what a coincidence that I just turned 17 and there is an election this year, how lucky I am. I voted at around 11 am. When we arrived at the voting place we have to pick up our queue number, and I think that this is the most annoying part. The wait is super long, I sat around for around one and a half hour just waiting to be called upon. When I finally got called, I was given 5 huge papers to vote the president and the legislatives of my choice. At first I ddn’t know that you’re only supposed to choose one candidate for each legislative categories, so to be honest, for two of the legislatives categories I chose multiple candidates, but that was also because I didn’t know the candidates that well! But then I did the right thing by choosing only 1 candidate for the rest of the categories. In my opinion, it was a very cool experience, because I feel like an actual adult after voting.”
It is fascinating to see every single students that has gained the right to vote – used their right. It is a great visible testament to the nation’s democracy and the political education that made it outside the classroom doors.
Editor in Chief : Syakira Azzah K.S.
Journalist : Syakira Azzah K.S.
Editor & Translator : Syakira Azzah K.S.
Documentation : SMA Pembangunan Jaya Sidoarjo Students
English 
Indonesian
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