Diffusion of Innovation on Electronic Voting Technology Used for
Village Head Election in Sambi, Sambi Sub District, Boyolali
Regency, Central Java, Indonesia
Syamsul Bakhri , R. B. Soemanto and Drajat Tri Kartono
Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
Keywords: Diffusion of Innovation, Electronic Voting, Village Head Election.
Abstract: The village head election in Sambi done with electronic voting has become an interesting topic for various
local and national media. Nineteen days after the election, there was a lawsuit in Boyolali District Court and
Semarang Administrative Court. This qualitative research considered as case study aims to find out the
diffusion of innovation on electronic voting technology process used for village head election in Sambi. The
data were validated by triangulation, the use of different sources of data. Data analysis technique used was
interactive analysis method by integrating the written data, interview, and documentation from agents of
change, community leader, and citizens who involved in the election process. The obtained data then were
analyzed by using Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory. The results of the research showed that the diffusion
of innovation on electronic voting technology process used for village head election in Sambi was originated
from Boyolali government that handles village government division, the election committees, and community
leader that have a role as agents of change who initiate innovation such as e-voting technology for Sambi
social system. E-voting acceptance was decided by regent of Boyolali, village head, and village consultative
board. The citizens in Sambi, however, were not all of the citizens open to innovation. They only knew e-
voting as a voting method. Because of dirty voter e-card and dirty screen used in the voting process, the
citizens assumed that the election result was manipulated, so that there were ten citizens and one village head
candidate sued in the court.
1 INTRODUCTION
Regulation of The Government on Lieu Law of the
Republic of Indonesia Number 1 Year 2014 About
Election of the Governor, Regent, And Mayor Section
85 Local Leader Election System has governed that
the Local Leader in Indonesia is elected directly by
people and can use vote, tick, or e-voting system
(Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti Undang-Undang
Republik Indonesia Nomor 1, 2014). In addition,
based on the Constitution Court’s Verdict No.
147/PUU-VII/2009 dated March 30, 2010 vote or tick
can be defined as using e-voting with cumulative
requirement of not breaking the direct, public, free,
secret, honest and just principles the local areas
applying e-voting method have been ready viewed
from technology, financing, human resource and
software, society aspects, and other requirements
necessary (Amar Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi
Republik Indonesia, 2009). It is confirmed with
Article 5 of the Republic of Indonesia’s Law Number
11 of 2008 about Electronic Information and
Transaction stating that “Electronic information
and/or electronic document and/or its printed result
are legitimate legal evidence” (Undang-Undang
Republik Indonesia Nomor 11, 2008).
This policy is applied because the organization of
General Election using manual system often results in
problems, ranging from electorate data validity, ballot
printing, ballot distribution, number of illegitimate
ballots because the electorates put sign on the ballot,
to vote calculating process, the problems in vote
calculating process, the process of time taken in the
calculation process gradually, and size of budget to be
spent for general election cost (Bakhri, 2012). Thus,
e-voting use should be considered as the solution to
the problem.
Before Indonesia applies e-voting, this system has
been applied in Estonia, Venezuela, Bahrain, Brazil,
Netherlands, Philippine, Ireland, India, United State
of America, Germany, and United Kingdom, but
360
Bakhri, S., Soemanto, R. and Kartono, D.
Diffusion of Innovation on Electronic Voting Technology Used for Village Head Election in Sambi, Sambi Sub District, Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Indonesia.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 2, pages 360-364
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

some of them are successful and some others face
some problems, with Brazil being the country to
apply e-voting most successfully (International
IDEA, 2011). The problems arising are society’s low
confidence in the result of election or suspicion on the
manipulation of result, the partiality of election
organizer, danger to ballot secrecy, government’s
inadequate skill as the general election organizer
dependent on vendor, unconstitutional, and not
improving electorate participation (International
IDEA, 2011; Zucco and Nicolau, 2016).
Diffusion of innovations is a theory that seeks to
explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and
technology spread. Rogers (1983) argues that
diffusion is the process by which an innovation is
communicated over time among the participants in a
social system. E-voting in Indonesia is developed by
Technology Researching and Application Board
(BPPT). BPPT becomes an agent of disseminating e-
voting innovation to the wide society. BPPT often
conducts socialization, simulation, and try-out of this
system application in some occasions. One of which
is in national dialogue about Electronic General
Election (E-Voting) in 2012 attended by the
Indonesian local leaders.
This innovation distribution is responded to
positively by Boyolali regency government that in
cooperation with BPPT of Boyolali Government
agrees to organize Village Head Election using e-
voting. The release of Boyolali Regent’s Regulation
Number 55 of 2012 about “Procedure of Village Head
Nomination, Election, Inauguration, and
Termination” becomes an early step of disseminating
this innovation to Boyolali community (Peraturan
Bupati Boyolali Nomor 55, 2012). The Regent
Regulation states that Village Head Election in
Boyolali Regency may use e-voting and the
utilization of information technology as the attempt
of improving public participation, improving
effectiveness and efficiency of Village Head election
organization.
Therefore, since 2013, some Village Head
Election in Boyolali have been conducted using e-
voting method. Overall, the implementation of
Village Head Election in Boyolali in 2013 has run
well. It is very interesting because of the
characteristics of villagers who rarely interact with
technology, largely have elementary school
education, and have been old. Villagers are willing to
adopt and can implement Village Head Election using
e-voting system. Central Statistic Bureau’s data
shows that majority or 258,202 (32%) Boyolali
people have elementary school education and 75,302
(7.9%) people have been 65 years old or more (Badan
Pusat Statistik Boyolali, 2008).
This case is also proportional inversely to the
social system of village people that is traditional and
not innovative in general. Traditional social system,
according to Rogers and Schoemaker (1981), can be
characterized with less change-oriented; less advance
in technology or still simple; having relatively low
literacy, education and understanding on scientific
method; interpersonal is still very effective, thereby
facilitating the society’s restraint to keep maintaining
status quo in social system. Very limited
communication is conducted by social system
members with outsiders so that they can position and
see themselves inadequately into others’ role,
particularly outsiders’.
In addition, Heterophily level or different
education level, social status, habit (elders rarely use
technology) will result in ineffectiveness
communication interaction occurring between the
agent of change and society, and innovation adoption
will occur difficultly. However, it does not occur in
e-voting innovation in Boyolali. Even the
participation of 8 villages becoming the locus of Pilot
Project in the implementation of e-voting Village
Head Election in Boyolali is higher than 70%
(Darmawan, 2014).
However, behind the successful implementation
of e-voting in Boyolali, there are still some
constraints and problems: unfamiliar e-voting Village
Head Election system, the executor’s low knowledge
on technology e-voting, some people suspicious of
manipulated data, and lawsuit to State Administrative
Court related to vote calculation result filed by one
nominee of Sambi Village Head requiring the result
of print out to be calculated like manual election. This
research studies the process of e-voting innovation
diffusion in Village Head Election Sambi in 2013.
2 METHODS
This research was taken place in Sambi Village of
Sambi Sub District of Boyolali Regency of Central
Java Province from July 2016 – to January 2017. Data
and information used in this qualitative research with
case study is a meaningful subjective experience from
the agent of change, related stakeholders, society
leader, and villagers following the entire process of
Village Head Election Sambi using electronic voting
method in 2013. Data collection was conducted
through in-depth interview and documentation, while
data validation was conducted using data source
triangulation. Technique of analyzing data used was
Diffusion of Innovation on Electronic Voting Technology Used for Village Head Election in Sambi, Sambi Sub District, Boyolali Regency,
Central Java, Indonesia
361

case study analysis method by integrating written
data, interview result and documentation of agent of
reform, related stakeholders, society leader, and
villagers following the entire process of Village Head
Election Sambi and then analyzing them using Rogers
Diffusion of innovation. Case study Analysis started
with following the theoretical proposition and using
pattern matching logic. Theoretical proposition was
made to help focusing the author’s attention on the
data corresponding to theoretical proposition and
ignoring others, helping organize entire case study,
and determining the alternative explanation to be
tested. Meanwhile, the use of matching logic pattern
is used to compare the empirical-based pattern
(description of case existing in the field) and the one
predicted by author or some alternative predictions
(Yin, 2013).
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Village Head Election Sambi in 2013 was followed
by two nominees of Village Head: Hasto Purnomo in
the first order and Waluyo in the second. From the
result of voting, it could be found that Hasto Purnomo
obtained 1,299 votes, Waluyo 1,380 votes and 13
abstain. The total electorate number was 2,692 and
623 citizens absent.
The structure of Village Head Election organizer
using e-voting method in Sambi Village consists of
seven Committee Structures: firstly, Village Head
Election Committee; secondly, observing team;
thirdly, controlling team; fourthly, technical team;
fifthly, verifying team; sixthly, monitoring team; and
seventhly, facilitator team.
The process of electronic voting technology
innovation diffusion in Sambi Village passed through
four stages just like Rogers’ innovation diffusion
theory: innovation source, message, communication,
and innovation receiver (Rogers, 1983). The source
of e-voting innovation existing in Sambi village
comes from the agent of change including Village
Government Division of Boyolali’s Local Secretariat,
Technical Team, Village Head Election Committee
and Sambi Community Leader (neighborhood
association) Chief/opinion leader. The message
emphasized on in the socialization and diffusion of e-
voting innovation in Sambi village aims to make the
Village Head Election run efficiently and effectively
and to deal with the problems occurring in manual
Village Head Election and to implement the more
democratic Village Head Election.
Communication channel used in diffusing e-
voting innovation includes: firstly, through formal
social structure: e-voting Socialization and
Simulation conducted by village government, Village
Head Election Committee, and neighborhood
association monthly meeting. Secondly, non-formal
social structure: family and neighbor, and thirdly,
through announcement media in strategic places
(village office, intersection and village security post).
Innovation recipient includes Sambi Village people.
The process of diffusing Village Head Election using
e-voting method is done largely through social
contact and communication between citizen, between
one individual and another (fellow friends, neighbors,
and families). In addition to socialization and
simulation conducted by Village Head Election
committee and Boyolali Government.
Boyolali Government recognized Village Head
Election using e-voting during work visit to Bali
Government. In the work visit, one theme discussed
was Village Head Election Jembrana Bali has applied
e-voting method. As the follow-up of information in
the work visit, Boyolali Regent wanted the
application of e-voting in Village Head Election.
Thus, Boyolali Government in cooperation with
Technology Studying and Application Board held
Village Head Election using e-voting method in
Village Head Election Boyolali.
Boyolali Government in cooperation with
Technology Studying and Application Board (BPPT)
introduced electronic voting system since October
2012, aiming to improve community participation,
effectiveness and efficiency of Village Head Election
in Boyolali. So, the source of e-voting technology
innovation in Village Head Election Sambi come
from the socialization conducted by Boyolali
Regency to village in 2013 that will conduct Village
Head election, one of which is Sambi Village. The
knowledge on e-voting in Sambi Village is distributed
by Village Government Division of Boyolali
Government, e-voting technical Team of Boyolali,
Pilkades Committee, and neighborhood association
Chief.
The process of diffusing e-voting system
innovation in Boyolali started with the release of
Boyolali Regent’s Regulation Number 55 of 2012
about “Procedure of Village Head Nomination,
Election, Inauguration, and Termination” (Peraturan
Bupati Boyolali Nomor 55, 2012). The message the
Boyolali Government wants to deliver to society is
that the use of e-voting method is expected to improve
the participation in Village Head election; the voting
will run more efficiently and effectively so that its
result can be seen in few minutes or even seconds; the
vote calculation is more accurate than the manual
calculation; no ballot is damaged, so that the
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competition is more fair; it gives political education
to the society through utilizing information
technology use.
To provide knowledge comprehensively about e-
voting, Boyolali Government Conducts Workshop at
regency level, socialization, and simulation in the
villages selected to be Village Head election e-voting
model village, one of which is Sambi Village.
Socialization is also given to Controlling Team at
Regency Level, Observing Team at Sub District
Level, and Village Head Election Organizing
Committee. In addition, for the Village Head election
using e-voting not to break the direct, public, free,
secret, honest, and just principles, Boyolali Regency
Conducts Training of Trainers for e-voting Technical
and Verification Teams established by the Regent as
the facilitator of Village Head Election Organizing
Committee.
Sambi Village is the one where the election was
conducted most lately in the pilot project of e-voting
technology use in Village Head election in Boyolali.
Socialization and Simulation in Sambi Village was
also conducted in two stages. In the first stage,
socialization and simulation were held on October 22,
2013 by inviting all neighborhood association chiefs
and representatives of 10 members of each RT to
come to Village Office. In the second stage,
socialization and simulation were held on November
11, 2013 by inviting the representatives of 10 citizens
different from those present in the first stage to come
to Village Office.
A harmonious social relation between citizens of
Sambi Village highly determines the successful
diffusion process of e-voting technology. Religion
and social status difference does not limit the
relationship between its members. The process of
diffusing Village Head election employing e-voting
is done largely through social contact and
communication between its citizens, between one
individual and another (fellow friends, neighbors, and
families). In addition to socialization and simulation
conducted by Village Head election committee and
Boyolali Government.
Through a positive social relation, the society
acquire knowledge and technology diffusion quickly
thereby Sambi community members think advance;
the common activity such as neighborhood
association is held monthly to strengthen the
friendship between citizens, and to encourage the
good democratic process because the people’s
aspiration can be accommodated well.
The process of adopting electronic-voting
technology innovation passed through four stages just
like Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory (1983)
including: Introduction, Persuasion, Decision, and
Confirmation. The citizens find out the innovation
and acquire some understanding about how
innovation functions through socialization, friend,
and neighbor. Some citizens treat it simply (accept it
the way it is), and some other accept it reluctantly
(questioning the positive and negative effect of it on
e-voting).
The decision of adopting e-voting technology
innovation in Sambi Village is the one made by the
authority of Regency Government and designates
Sambi Village as the model village in Sambi Sub
District. The citizen looks for innovation decision
made by Boyolali Regency. After the Village Head
election implementation using e-voting method, some
citizens filed action to Boyolali District Court and one
nominee filed lawsuit to Semarang Court. All citizen
previously agrees and believe in e-voting, but some
of them changed their decision after obtaining
contradictory information and considered that e-
voting Village Head election process encountered
some disruption thereby the process is not
democratic.
The preparation and implementation stages of
Village Head election Sambi ran smoothly; there
were only two disruptions when the citizen would
vote, due to dirty screen and smart card. Until the
voting stage has been completed and 3 days after
election or the due time of lawsuit filing against the
implementation of Village Head election, there was
no lawsuit filed as the two nominees and their
proponents accept the result of Village Head election.
However, 19 days after voting, exactly on
December 2013, ten Sambi citizens initialled W, EW,
N, SP, S, S, SR, MYP, and W filed lawsuit to Boyolali
District Court related to Village Head election Sambi
in 2013. On December 11, 2013, some citizens send
objection letter to Boyolali Regency, the content of
which stated that Boyolali Regent should not do any
action related to the process of village head election
in Sambi, but there was no reply. It is because the
objection was delivered more than 3 days after the
voting, while according to Village Head election
Sambi regulation in Article 24 clause (4) “the
nominee can file objection to the Regent against the
result of voting using e-voting as lately as 3 (three)
days after the implementation”. In addition, non-
objection letter was delivered against the result of e-
voting informing the Regent that some unlawful
deeds had been done in Boyolali District Court (case
of plaintiff vs. Village Head election Sambi
committee).
The material of lawsuit was related to unlawful
deed in Village Head election Sambi process in
Diffusion of Innovation on Electronic Voting Technology Used for Village Head Election in Sambi, Sambi Sub District, Boyolali Regency,
Central Java, Indonesia
363

Boyolali District Court, such as electronic ballot not
functioning maximally in Pilkades held using e-
voting and vote summary not printed out and only in
display form. Declining the result of voting in Village
Head election Sambi on November 21, 2013, asking
the Village Head election committee to conduct more
voting in Village Head election Sambi corresponding
to the provision of legislation enacted, asking the
prosecuted to pay immaterial compensation of IDR
1,000,000,000,- (one billion rupiahs). The lawsuit
was addressed to Village Head election Sambi
Committee and Sambi Village Representative
Council. However, on July 7, 2014, the result of
Boyolali District Court’s session stated that the
lawsuit is not acceptable.
On February 24, 2014, one nominee of Sambi
Village Head initialled HP filed lawsuit against
Boyolali Regent’s Decree Number 141/565 of 2013
about the ratification of village head hiring
throughout Boyolali until December 2013 dated
December 13, 2013 on behalf of initialled W, the
second order of nominee to be hired as Sambi village
head. This lawsuit was filed according to the copy of
lawsuit from the Supreme Court (2014) because:
Firstly, during voting, some sabotage was made on
the computer system. Secondly, the electronic
equipment verifying team was coming into and
existing from the chamber without accompanied by
witnesses. Thirdly, in vote calculation process after
voting using e-voting, the number of electronic card
used by electorate was not calculated. However, all of
those lawsuits were declined, as the procedure of
Village Head election implementation conducted by
Village Head election committee and the Decree of
Recruitment of Sambi Village Head in 2013 by
Boyolali Regent had been consistent with the enacted
provision.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The diffusion of electronic voting technology
innovation in Village Head election Sambi originated
from Village Government division of Boyolali
Regency, Village Head election committee, and
society leader serving as the agent of reform in
introducing e-voting technology innovation into
social system of Sambi Village. The decision making
process of accepting e-voting technology innovation
was determined by decision of Boyolali Regent,
Village Head, and Village Representative Council.
Not all Sambi villagers are opened to new things and
the citizen’s knowledge on e-voting is limited to the
way of voting using e-voting. Thus, when some
disruption occurs in voting process due to dirty
electronic electorate card and dirty screen, they are
suspicious of the manipulation of voting result. As a
result, ten citizens and one nominee of Village Head
do not believe in the result of voting and then file
lawsuit to the Court.
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