On October 28, 2024, the General Elections Commission of Pekanbaru City (KPU Kota Pekanbaru) held a group screening of "Tepatilah Janji" at Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau. The event drew dozens of students and doubled as political education aimed at first-time voters ahead of the next election cycle.
Film screenings are not new tools for voter outreach, but they fill a specific gap. Formal civic education sessions tend to lose young audiences quickly. A movie night on campus lowers the barrier—it feels like an event, not a lecture—and the interactive games mixed in keep attention from drifting.
The short version
- Date: October 28, 2024
- Location: Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau
- Organiser: KPU Kota Pekanbaru
- Occasion: Hari Sumpah Pemuda
- Film shown: "Tepatilah Janji"
- Audience: Dozens of students, described as enthusiastic
- Format: Film screening plus interactive games
What the commission said
Ariya Ghuna Saputra, head of the law and supervision division at KPU Kota Pekanbaru, described the screening as one of several outreach methods targeting new voters. The stated goal was straightforward: push back against golput, the Indonesian term for abstaining from voting. He also reminded attendees that young people carry significant weight in local and national outcomes, making their participation essential rather than optional.
The games alongside the film served a practical purpose. They broke the passive viewing pattern and gave organisers a way to inject civic content without front-loading a lecture.
Our analysis
Group screenings occupy a peculiar middle ground in voter outreach—they are less formal than a classroom and more visible than a social media post. For a city-level commission with limited resources, a campus evening with a few dozen students is relatively easy to organise and generates shareable content for institutional channels. The real measure of success, however, is not immediate. Name recognition and positive sentiment matter when polling day arrives, but those effects are hard to isolate from other factors.
The demographic angle is harder to dismiss. Indonesia's youth electorate is large and growing, and golput among first-time voters is a persistent concern for election bodies nationwide. A campus event reaches that group directly, without the friction of a registration drive or a formal seminar. The limitation is scope. One screening, however well-received, is a single touchpoint in a longer relationship that needs sustained follow-up.
Who should care
| Audience | What they get from this |
|---|---|
| First-time voters | A low-pressure introduction to why showing up matters |
| University students | A reminder that district and provincial outcomes affect campus life directly |
| Election administrators | A replicable format that requires minimal budget and generates local media |
| Civic groups | A co-hosting opportunity with a credible official partner |
Checklist: Planning a campus civic event
- Choose a film with a clear civic message.** Abstract themes are harder to turn into discussion.
- Add one interactive element.** A short quiz, icebreaker, or small-group prompt keeps the room engaged after the credits roll.
- Invite a credible speaker.** An official from the election commission adds authority without requiring a full seminar.
- Follow up digitally.** Share a brief summary or link to voter registration resources the next morning.
Bottom line
A campus film night is a modest but purposeful civic tool, and KPU Pekanbaru used it as intended. Whether the message sticks past the closing credits depends on what the commission does next.
Key takeaways
- The screening took place on October 28, 2024 at Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau.
- "Tepatilah Janji" was chosen to promote rational, consistent voting over golput.
- Interactive games supplemented the film to reinforce civic content.
- The stated target audience was first-time voters, particularly Gen Z students.
- The event was framed as one component of a broader political education strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Why did KPU Kota Pekanbaru organise this screening?
To mark Hari Sumpah Pemuda and raise political awareness among young voters, with a focus on reducing golput among first-time voters.
When and where did the event take place?
October 28, 2024, at Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau in Pekanbaru.
Who addressed the audience?
Ariya Ghuna Saputra, head of the law and supervision division at KPU Kota Pekanbaru, spoke about the importance of rational, consistent voting.
What format did the event use?
A film screening of "Tepatilah Janji" combined with interactive games designed to keep students engaged while conveying civic messages.
What was the core message to students?
Voting should be a rational, habitual choice rather than something to skip or treat casually.