Digital Campaign Dysfunction in Indonesian Regional Election During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2020 Simultaneous Regional Elections in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic caused digital campaigns to become the most viable alternative amidst health protocol restrictions. Preliminary data shows that the use of digital for political campaigns was not optimal. The readiness of candidates and voters to enter the digital campaign era is interesting for further analysis. This article aims to understand the campaign practices of candidates in the digital space during the pandemic, as well as analyze the readiness of candidates and voters in the digital campaign. Qualitative case study research was conducted using a holistic multi-case design in three regions in Central Java, Indonesia. Data collection was carried out by observing candidates' social media, as well as interviews with campaigners. The research results show that the digital campaign was a "forced" situation, not a creative idea of the candidates. The digital space has yet to become an effective public sphere for discussing candidate ideas and programs with voters. The lack of public engagement with campaigns in the digital space shows that a digital political habitus has yet to be formed in society. As a result, digital campaign dysfunction occurs when candidates and voters are not well connected in effective political communication, even though both are in the digital space. Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic, Digital campaign, Dysfunction, Regional Election.