The Analysis of the Participation of People with Disabilities in the 2017’s Regional Election in Bireuen District, Aceh, Indonesia

ABSTRACT: People with disabilities have not been given the maximum opportunity to participate in an Election. This research was aimed at finding out the factors influencing the motivation of 4.73% of the voters with disabilities who participated in the 2017’s Election in Bireuen, and the factors contributing to the low participation of 95.27% of people with disabilities registered to vote in the 2017’s Election in Bireuen District; and this also aimed at finding out the efforts which can be made to increase the participation of people with disabilities in the next Elections in Bireuen District. To achieve these objectives, the Authors used Political Participation Theory and Voter Behavior Theory. This research utilized a qualitative descriptive method. The results of this research showed the factors affecting the motivation of people with disability who participated in the 2017's Regional Election in Bireuen District include the awareness of the right to vote; family support; politics education conducted by the Organizers of the Elections in Bireuen District; and figures who developed into political contestants. Some solutions for the participation of disabled people increased in subsequent elections, namely: maximizing the accessibility of the Elections to disability and the adjustment of socialization programs based on the type of disability exist in Bireuen Regency. KEY WORD: Elections; Disabilities; Participation. RESUME: “Analisis Partisipasi Penyandang Disabilitas pada PEMILUKADA 2017 di Kabupaten Bireuen, Aceh, Indonesia”. P enyandang disabilitas belum secara maksimal memanfaatkan peluang untuk ikut serta dalam mensukseskan PEMILU (Pemilihan Umum) . Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor yang mempengaruhi motivasi 4 . 73% penyandang disabilitas yang berpartisipasi, dan faktor yang mempengaruhi rendahnya partisipasi  yaitu sebesar 95 . 27% penyandang disabilitas, serta solusi yang perlu ditempuh agar partisipasi penyandang disabilitas dapat meningkat pada PEMILUKADA (Pemilihan Umum Kepala Daerah) selanjutnya di Kabupaten Bireuen. Untuk menganalisis permasalahan dalam penelitian ini, P enulis menggunakan T eori P artisipasi P olitik dan T eori P erilaku P emilih. P endekatan penelitian yang gunakan adalah metode kualitatif deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat beberapa faktor yang mempengaruhi motivasi penyandang disabilitas berpartisipasi dalam PEMILUKADA di Kabupaten Bireuen tahun 2017 , antara lain: kesadaran penyandang disabilitas terhadap hak memilih ; dukungan keluarga ; sosialisasi pendidikan politik yang dilakukan oleh P enyelenggara ; dan figur peserta calon kepala daerah yang maju menjadi peserta PEMILUKADA. Terdapat beberapa solusi agar partisipasi penyandang disabilitas meningkat dalam PEMILUKADA selanjutnya , yaitu: memaksimalkan aksesibilitas PEMILUKADA terhadap pemilih disabilitas dan penyesuaian program sosialisasi berdasarkan jenis disabilitas yang disandang oleh pemilih. KATA KUNCI : Pemilihan Umum; Disabilitas; Partisipasi. About the Author s : Dr. Mahdi Syahbandir is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UNSYIAH (University of Syiah Kuala), Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Lita Oktarina , S.I . P . is an Assistant Lecturer at the Study Program of Political Science FISIP (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) UNSYIAH. Dr. Efendi is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Vice Dean for General and Financial Affairs at the FISIP UNSYIAH. E-mails address: msyahbandir@unsyiah.ac.id , oktarina@gmail.com , and fendie_idris@unsyiah.ac.id Suggested Citation: Syahbandir, Mahdi, Lita Oktarina & Efendi. (2020). “The Analysis of the Participation of People with Disabilities in the 2017’s Regional Election in Bireuen District, Aceh, Indonesia” in SOSIOHUMANIKA: Jurnal Pendidikan Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, Volume 13(2), November, pp.145-158. Bandung and Banda Aceh, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI and FISIP UNSYIAH, with ISSN 1979-0112 (print) and ISSN 2622-6855 (online). Article Timeline: Accepted (October 5, 2020); Revised (October 24, 2020); and Published (November 30, 2020).