Peningkatan Pemahaman dan Partisipasi Pemilih Pemula pada Pemilu 2024 di Desa Sukadadi Kecamatan Gedong Tataan Kabupaten Pesawaran

Abstract

Low political literacy and the limited experience of first-time voters in participating in general elections may reduce the quality of political participation and increase their vulnerability to transactional politics. This condition was also identified among first-time voters in Sukadadi Village, Gedong Tataan District, Pesawaran Regency, who had never received electoral education or socialization. This community service program aimed to improve the political literacy, understanding, and participatory awareness of first-time voters in preparation for the 2024 Simultaneous General Election. The program employed a participatory approach consisting of four stages: planning, preparation, implementation, and evaluation. The activities began with a pre-test to assess participants' initial understanding, followed by educational sessions covering the concept and objectives of general elections, voters' rights and obligations, the significance of first-time voters, voter categories, interactive discussions, and question-and-answer sessions. The results demonstrated an improvement in participants' understanding of fundamental electoral concepts, voters' rights and responsibilities, and the importance of participating actively, rationally, and responsibly in elections. Participants also showed high enthusiasm throughout the activities and developed greater awareness of exercising their voting rights as a constitutional responsibility. These findings indicate that electoral socialization serves as an effective form of political education to enhance political literacy and strengthen the quality of first-time voters' participation in supporting democratic and integrity-based elections.