STRATEGI KOMISI PEMILIHAN UMUM (KPU) MINAHASA TENGGARA DALAM MENINGKATKAN PARTISIPASI POLITIK PEMILIH PEMULA PADA PEMILIHAN UMUM 2024

This study aims to analyze the strategies employed by the General Election Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum/KPU) of Southeast Minahasa Regency to increase the political participation of first-time voters in the 2024 General Election. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method, focusing on political education strategies, communication patterns, and efforts to engage young voters in the democratic process. The findings indicate that the KPU of Southeast Minahasa Regency implemented various approaches, including a formal approach through the KPU Goes to School program, a community-based approach through youth organizations, a digital approach through social media, an interpersonal approach through door-to-door outreach, and a cultural and religious approach through the “Bakudapa” program. The implementation of these strategies demonstrates that the KPU not only focuses on delivering technical information about elections but also seeks to strengthen political literacy, democratic awareness, and the political responsibility of first-time voters. Although there is no specific instrument for quantitatively measuring participation targets among first-time voters, the strategies implemented have successfully expanded the reach of political education through various social spaces that are closely connected to the daily lives of first-time voters. The effectiveness of these strategies is reflected in the high level of public participation in the 2024 General Election, which reached approximately 88 percent. This study concludes that the strategy of the General Elections Commission (KPU) of Southeast Minahasa Regency represents a form of political education transformation that is inclusive, multidimensional, and grounded in local wisdom.