Medan. Heavy rains and floods have severely impacted the 2024 Regional Elections in North Sumatra on Wednesday. Many polling stations (TPS) across the region were either submerged or damaged by landslides, preventing voters from casting their ballots.

Several areas, including Medan, Deli Serdang, and Binjai, were hit by flooding after heavy rains fell throughout the night. The floods not only affected the voting process but also damaged election infrastructure, including the local election commission offices, and displaced voters. In Medan's Tanjung Gusta district alone, 21 out of 47 polling stations were flooded, forcing officials to delay the opening of polls until 10 a.m. instead of the scheduled 7 a.m.

Raja Ahab Damanik, a commissioner with the North Sumatra General Election Commission (KPU), said that the KPU was assessing the situation and coordinating with the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu). The commission is still gathering information on the extent of the flooding and its impact on voting, with a decision on whether to hold a re-vote expected soon.

“We have received reports of many polling stations being flooded and having to be relocated, and some stations have been rendered unusable due to strong winds and heavy rains. We are working with Bawaslu to determine the next steps,” Damanik said.

The heavy rainfall, which began on Tuesday night, led to the overflow of the Deli River, causing widespread flooding in Medan, including the Tanjung Gusta area. The local sub-district office, which stores election materials, was also flooded.

North Sumatra gubernatorial candidates Bobby Nasution and Edy Rahmayadi both visited affected areas following their voting. Bobby, the son-in-law of former President Joko Widodo, announced plans to inspect flood-affected areas and oversee evacuations. He attributed the flooding to heavy rainfall and the overflow of rivers

 "We will assist in evacuating residents, as some rivers in Medan have overflowed, particularly due to the heavy rain," Nasution stated.

Meanwhile, Edy Rahmayadi was concerned about the significant impact of the flooding on the election process. “I went out early this morning to see how people are suffering. The floods have certainly affected the voting process, and polling stations are muddy," he said.

This year’s elections involve over 200 million registered voters, supported by more than 8 million election officials. In North Sumatra alone, there are 10.77 million registered voters. The simultaneous elections are being held to elect leaders in 545 regions, including 37 provinces, 415 regencies, and 93 cities, with terms set to conclude between 2022 and 2025.