<![CDATA[One form of implementing democratic education in schools is through the election of the Student Council (OSIS) board, which provides students with direct experience in practicing democratic values. This study aims to examine student participation in the democratic process of the OSIS board election at SMP Negeri 2 Gunungsitoli Idanoi. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, with data collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. Informants included the school principal, OSIS supervising teacher, OSIS president, and several students. Data analysis followed the Miles and Huberman model, consisting of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that student participation was generally good, particularly during the voting stage, when most students exercised their right to vote. However, participation in other stages, including nomination, campaigning, and presentation of visions and missions, remained low. Several factors contributed to the low participation, including limited understanding of the importance of school organizations and democratic processes, low self-confidence in active involvement, academic workloads, limited engagement in OSIS activities, and insufficient information about candidates. Efforts to increase participation include strengthening students’ understanding of democracy and school organizations, providing motivation to build confidence in organizational involvement, and organizing OSIS elections that are more engaging and participatory. These efforts are expected to encourage students to participate more actively throughout the democratic process and strengthen democratic values within the school environment. ]]>
