Over 100 Indonesian Poll Workers Die Due to Election-Related Exhaustion

More than 100 poll workers in Indonesia have died in relation to one of the largest single-day elections globally earlier this month, as stated by Indonesian officials. Health authorities attribute the primary cause to exhaustion.

The Health Ministry of the country reported that a total of 115 workers lost their lives throughout the election period from February 10 to 26, mainly from conditions exacerbated by fatigue, such as heart disease, hypertension, and respiratory issues. Nearly 60% of the fatalities were among individuals aged between 41 and 60.

Additionally, around 15,000 workers became ill and required hospitalization. On the day of the election, approximately 5.7 million individuals were tasked with managing around 800,000 polling stations nationwide, with shifts extending over 12 hours.

The electoral process involved selecting the president, vice president, legislators, and senators all on the same day. Experts critique the electoral system in the country for the immense pressure it places on poll workers. In comparison, nearly 900 workers died during the general election in 2019.