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Relationship Between Local Culture and Voter Rationality in the 2024 Electoral Contestation in Batu Bara Regency Ahmad Khairuddin; Oman Sukmana; Tutik Sulistyowati
Gondang: Jurnal Seni dan Budaya Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): GONDANG: JURNAL SENI DAN BUDAYA, JUNE 2026
Publisher : Universitas Negeri Medan

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24114/a43b8y33

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between local culture and voter rationality in the electoral contestation in Batu Bara Regency. The research aims to analyze how local cultural values influence the political behavior of society in determining their choices during regional head elections. As a multiethnic region predominantly shaped by coastal Malay culture, Batu Bara Regency possesses strong social characteristics rooted in kinship relations, traditional leaders, religious authority, and socio-political patronage networks. This study employs a qualitative method with approaches from political sociology and cultural anthropology. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation studies involving community members, traditional leaders, religious figures, and local political campaign teams. The findings reveal that voter rationality in Batu Bara Regency is not entirely rational-instrumental as described in modern rational choice theory, but is significantly influenced by local culture, emotional proximity, ethnic identity, patron-client relations, and the legitimacy of traditional and religious leaders. Local culture functions as a medium for the production of political meaning that shapes voter preferences in electoral contestation. In this context, voting behavior represents a combination of pragmatic considerations and cultural values embedded within society. This study confirms that local democracy in Batu Bara Regency cannot be understood solely through formal political approaches, but must also be examined through the cultural dimensions that shape public political consciousness.
KETIMPANGAN DEMOKRASI DALAM TRANSISI KEKUASAAAN DAERAH PADA REALITAS POLITIK HALMAHERA TENGAH Bakir Usman; Saidah Alfina Damayanti; Tutik Sulistyowati
Jurnal Ilmiah Sosiologi Agama (JISA) Vol 9, No 2 (2026)
Publisher : Sociology of Religion Study Program, Faculty of Social Sciences, North Sumatra State Islam

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.30829/jisa.v9i2.30520

Abstract

The appointment of acting regional heads (Penjabat/Pj), including governors, regents, and mayors, in Indonesia during the 2022–2023 period attracted significant public attention due to the large number of regional leaders whose terms of office had expired. The appointment of Acting Regents (Penjabat Bupati) by the central government reflects the strong exercise of administrative authority in determining regional leadership, which, in several cases, has not fully accommodated local political aspirations. This study employed a qualitative method with a normative juridical approach, supported by descriptive analysis of statutory regulations and the empirical realities observed in the field. The findings indicate that the mechanism for appointing Acting Regional Heads (Penjabat/Pj) by the central government, although legally legitimate, does not fully reflect democratic principles, particularly with regard to public participation, thereby creating the potential for an imbalance in the distribution of power between the central and regional governments. From the perspective of Joseph Schumpeter's theory of procedural democracy, political competition—the essence of democracy—was only realized through the 2024 Regional Head Elections (Pilkada), when citizens regained the opportunity to elect their regional leaders through a competitive electoral process. However, candidates who had previously served as Acting Regents enjoyed structural advantages that potentially influenced the outcome of the electoral contest. From Robert Dahl's perspective of substantive democracy, this condition demonstrates that the principles of equal political competition, broad participation, and political equality have not yet been fully realized. The study concludes that democracy in Central Halmahera has not yet achieved substantive democratic quality, as it remains characterized by central government dominance and unequal distribution of political resources.