<![CDATA[This study aims to analyze the effect of the perceived performance of election organizers and money politics on voter satisfaction in Mahakam Ulu Regency, with the neutrality of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) acting as an intervening variable. The background of this study stems from the electoral legitimacy crisis triggered by the Re-voting (PSU) following the 2024 General Election, which led to a drastic decline in public satisfaction. Employing a quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach, data were collected through 1–5 Likert-scale questionnaires administered to 122 respondents selected via purposive sampling. Inferential data analysis was performed using Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) via WarpPLS software. The results indicate that the perceived performance of election organizers has a positive and significant effect on Bawaslu's neutrality, whereas money politics has no direct significant effect on either Bawaslu's neutrality or voter satisfaction. Interestingly, an anomaly was found showing a significant negative effect of Bawaslu's neutrality on voter satisfaction, reflecting a clash of legal cultures and strict sanctions at the grassroots level. Mediation analysis proves that Bawaslu's neutrality acts as a full mediator in bridging the relationship between the perceived performance of election organizers and voter satisfaction, but fails to mediate the relationship between money politics and voter satisfaction.]]>
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