PELINDUNGAN HUKUM BAGI PEMILIH DALAM PILKADA (STUDI KASUS TENTANG MONEY PILITIC DI PILKADA PONOROGO TAHUM 2024)

This research, entitled "Legal Protection for Voters in Regional Elections (A Case Study of Money Politics in the 2024 Ponorogo Regional Elections"), aims to analyze the problems faced by voters related to the practice of money politics in the Ponorogo Regional Elections, as well as the legal protections available for voters involved. Money politics undermines election integrity and reduces the quality of democracy by manipulating voters' votes. This research uses a normative and empirical juridical approach, examining laws and regulations, law enforcement officials, and efforts to provide legal protection for voters who become victims of money politics.

The research results show that despite regulations prohibiting vote buying, enforcement remains weak, leaving many voters exposed to vote buying without adequate legal protection. The practice of vote buying in the 2024 Ponorogo regional elections included the offering of money, goods, and promises that led to vote manipulation. Voters are often unaware of violations of their voting rights, hindering reporting of such violations. Law enforcement must be strengthened to ensure that affected voters receive adequate protection.

This study recommends clarifying regulations on vote-buying and imposing stricter sanctions on perpetrators. Furthermore, increasing the capacity of law enforcement agencies, such as the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), to identify and handle vote-buying cases is also necessary. Public political education is also crucial to raise awareness of the importance of election integrity and prevent vote-buying practices.
Keywords: Legal Protection, Voters, Vote-buying.