Journal of Government Science (GovSci ) : Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan
Vol 7 No 1 (2026)

Electoral Governance and Democratic Vulnerability Amid Disaster in the 2024 East Flores Regional Election

Eusabius Separera Niron (Widya Mandira Catholic University)
Yonatan Hans Luter Lopo (Nusa Cendana University)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 Jun 2026

Abstract

Previous studies generally examine the implementation of elections in crisis situations from a logistical and administrative perspective, while attention to the interactions between election governance, disaster governance, and democratic vulnerability is still relatively limited. To fill this gap, this study investigates how election governance was implemented during the Mount Lewotobi eruption and how these conditions shaped democratic vulnerabilities in the 2024 East Flores Regency Regional Head Election. This research offers a novel contribution by integrating the perspectives of election governance and democratic vulnerability in a disaster context. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through interviews with 15 key informants, document analysis, and field observations. They were then analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and SaldaƱa, which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results show that disaster conditions not only disrupt election administration but also create democratic vulnerabilities related to voter access, political representation, and election legitimacy. This research contributes to the development of literature on the implementation of regional elections in an emergency context and recommends the development of a disaster-responsive regional election governance framework to strengthen democratic resilience in future regional elections.

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