Iconic white ballot boxes and ballots to let the nearly 205 million eligible voters of Indonesia choose candidates in this Wednesday’s election have been carried across the world’s largest archipelago by motorcycle, boat and even horse — as well as on foot.
The journey can be tough.
The boxes and ballots must sometimes be hand-carried up mountains, across rivers and through villages in the forest to reach a population that is spread out across over 17,000 islands that stretch over 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) from east to west.
A huge number of boxes and ballots is required for the vote in the world’s third largest democracy.
Once entering a voting booth, a voter must deal with five ballots at once, choosing one of three pairs of presidential and vice presidential hopefuls, as well as candidates at the national, provincial, regional and city levels.
The official vote-counting process is laborious, and may take up to 35 days. But the public can expect numerous early vote count results based on sampling, as registered private polling and survey groups will deploy thousands of volunteers and staff to polling stations nationwide.
Workers load ballot boxes onto a truck to be distributed to polling stations ahead of the Feb. 14 election, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Baduy tribesmen carry ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations ahead of the Feb. 14 election, in Kanekes village, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)
Electoral workers assist a colleague to mount a horse to distribute ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia to polling stations in remote villages in Andongrejo, East Java, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)
Electoral workers use horses to carry ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia to polling stations in remote villages in Andongrejo, East Java, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)
A man uses a motorized tricycle to transport ballot boxes to a polling station ahead of the Feb. 14 election in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Slamet Riyadi)
People carry ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations ahead of the Feb. 14 election, in Kanekes village, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)
Workers carry ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations ahead of the Feb. 14 election, in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
Electoral workers unload ballot boxes from a boat during the distribution of election paraphernalia to remote villages, in Pemulutan, South Sumatra, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Muhammad Hatta)
People carry ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations ahead of the Feb. 14 election, in Kanekes village, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)
Workers load ballot boxes onto a truck to be distributed to polling stations ahead of Feb. 14 election in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)
People use a cart to transport ballot boxes ahead of the Feb. 14 election in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Slamet Riyadi)
People carry ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations ahead of the Feb. 14 election, in Kanekes village, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)
Electoral workers arrange ballot boxes in a boat during the distribution of election paraphernalia to remote villages, in Pemulutan, South Sumatra, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Muhammad Hatta)
Electoral workers carry ballot boxes during the distribution of election paraphernalia to remote villages, in Pemulutan, South Sumatra, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Muhammad Hatta)
