General elections are a common mechanism in the democratic political systems adopted by 237 geographies around the globe. Indonesia has been committed to implement the democracy since the first general election in 1955. In the system, first time voters hold a very important role (this demographic accounted for 5 million voters in the 2019 election). The majority of first-time voters are first-year college students. This educated group is not only often viewed as a role model for the larger peer group regarding participation in the political system, but also represents the nation’s future leaders, so that their participation in politics is vital to the future continuation of the political systems. This is the main reason for doing research in measuring perception and participation of first-time voters. Similar studies have already taken place, especially in Jakarta, but the main difference in this study relates to measuring the perception and participation using mix method with qualitative analysis in the end.
Keywords: first time voters, higher education students, perception and participation, election