HANDLING OF MONEY POLITICS CRIME IN ELECTIONS BASED ON LAW NO. 7 OF 2017 ON GENERAL ELECTIONS

Abstract

The criminal act of vote-buying is one of the main issues threatening the integrity of democracy in Indonesia, especially in the electoral process. The practice of vote-buying not only undermines political morality but also erodes the essence of elections, which should be free, fair, and just. Vote-buying involves providing rewards in the form of money or goods to voters with the aim of influencing their political choices. This often occurs during the campaign period and the quiet period before the voting day. This research focuses on analyzing the handling of vote-buying offenses in elections according to Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections. This study uses a normative juridical approach by analyzing the relevant regulations and their implementation in the field. The research results show that although Law No. 7 of 2017 provides clear rules regarding the prohibition and sanctions for vote-buying, its implementation faces various challenges, particularly in monitoring and proving cases in court. One of the biggest obstacles is the low public awareness of the negative impacts of vote-buying and the difficulty in obtaining strong evidence to bring offenders to justice. In addition, law enforcement officials and election supervisory bodies, such as the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), often face limitations in terms of resources and authority to handle vote-buying cases effectively. This research recommends strengthening the legal and monitoring systems, as well as increasing public education to prevent and minimize vote-buying practices in future elections.