Public Participation In The 2024 Regent And Deputy Regent Elections At The Ngunut District Level

Abstract

Tulungagung Regency has held direct regional elections, with the last implementation in November 2024. Based on the recapitulation results, as many as 90% of the people in Ngunut District exercised their right to vote. Therefore, researchers are interested in studying the level of community 
political participation and the factors that influence it in Tulungagung Regency, especially Ngunut District, using the theory of political participation put forward by Ramlan Surbakti. This research applies qualitative methods with research locations in Tulungagung Regency, especially Ngunut District. Data collection techniques were carried out through indepth interviews and observation of several informants. The research results show that the level of community participation in Ngunut District is quite high. This is driven by various factors, such as the high level of public enthusiasm which contributes to critical thinking regarding the implementation of elections and interest in participating. Apart from that, the role of mass media is very strategic in increasing public knowledge regarding the regional head election process, so that information dissemination takes place well and becomes a means of political socialization. The KPU's performance in the Tulungagung Regency Pilkada was also quite optimal with an aggressive campaign that encouraged 
voter interest. These factors contributed to increased public participation compared to the previous regional elections, which only reached 80%.