Reconstructing the Role of BAWASLU in the North Sumatra Regional Elections

This study explores the limitations of classical role theory in explaining the effectiveness of the Provincial Election Supervisory Agency (BAWASLU) in Indonesia, focusing on the 2019 General Election in North Sumatra Province. Traditional role models, particularly those proposed by Biddle and Thomas, emphasize expectations, norms, performance, and evaluation, yet they fail to adequately capture the complex institutional challenges faced by election supervisory bodies. This research aims to reconstruct a more comprehensive role model to enhance BAWASLU’s supervisory effectiveness. Using a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study design, data were collected from official documents, election supervision reports, and relevant theoretical literature. The findings indicate that BAWASLU’s effectiveness is constrained by regulatory limitations, weak institutional commitment, suboptimal supervisory behavior, disharmony among election organizers, and the absence of systematic institutional evaluation mechanisms. Importantly, the quality and quantity of human resources emerge as the most decisive factors in optimizing BAWASLU’s role, despite being largely absent from classical role theory frameworks. Based on these findings, this study proposes a reconstructed role model consisting of six key indicators: institutional commitment to role optimization, election supervision regulations, supervisory behavior, inter-organizational dynamics among election bodies, institutional evaluation mechanisms, and human resource capacity. This model contributes to the enrichment of institutional role theory and provides a practical framework to strengthen election supervision and promote professional, integrity-based, and fair electoral processes.