<![CDATA[This study analyzes the legal vacuum regarding the oversight of “blank-column” volunteers in regional elections with a single candidate. The phenomenon of single candidates, which occurred in 37 regions during the 2024 regional elections, sparked the emergence of the “blank-column” volunteer movement as a form of resistance against the lack of democratic competition. Although the “blank column” option is legally recognized under Article 54C of Law No. 10 of 2016, the legal status, rights, and limitations on the activities of “blank column” volunteers are not specifically regulated, resulting in a legal vacuum. This normative legal study employing legislative, conceptual, and case-based approaches finds that the absence of regulations hinders the effectiveness of the Election Supervisory Agency’s (Bawaslu) oversight, as it can only adopt a persuasive approach; creates procedural disparities between candidate pairs and volunteers; and threatens the quality of democracy and the legitimacy of the regional elections. The study recommends a comprehensive regulatory update governing the legal status of “blank-column” volunteers, campaign mechanisms, the obligations of the General Election Commission (KPU), and the authority of Bawaslu so that single-candidate regional elections can proceed fairly, democratically, and proportionally.]]>
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